In Need of Saving
by TutorGurl
Summary: AU NALEY. When Haley's abusive father takes things too far one night, she goes running to Tree Hill to the only person in the world that cares about her. Her twin sister. But when she catches someone's eye, she won't be as alone as she thought.
1. Resistance and Distance Is Never Enough

Author's Note: Hey! Okay, so I know that I have a bunch of fics on the go already, but I just really wanted to write this. I can't promise that I'll be able to update that often, but you guys might not even like it so it doesn't matter.  
  
There isn't much that needs to be explained, it gets a little clearer as you go on. The only thing that needs to be said is that it's AU and that Nate and Luke are brothers. Please, reply if you think I should continue.  
  
-OTH-

--**In some families, _please_ is described as the magic word. In our house, however, it was _sorry_.--**

Haley James let out a huge sigh as she looked around her room. She hated it in there. It didn't feel right, like something was missing. Something was missing, her sister. Haley had to laugh at the irony of the situation. When she was growing up in this house with her twin sister, their parents had forced them to share a room in an attempt to make them best friends. At first, they hated it, always fighting over the littlest things, but soon the fights became fewer and further apart.  
  
They would never admit it to their parents because that would mean that they were right, but they really were best friends. Over the years, they became somewhat of a support system for the other when it was needed. When Tanya Davidson beat up Haley everyday in the sixth grade, her sister was the one that comforted her and stood up for her. Or when their father yelled at one of them, they always sought comfort in each other's arms.  
  
Haley looked around the room again, her room again. She closed her eyes and let the smell of alcohol fill her senses. Daddy was home. The last thing she wanted was for her father to get her alone in a bedroom, so she quickly left, shutting the door and making her way to the top of the stairs. She spotted her father standing in the doorway, trying to get his coat off.  
  
"How was your day?" she asked, hoping to get their conversation off on a good start. Personally, she would have rather not had a conversation with him at all, but she knew how her father got if she ignored him and this was a much safer plan.  
  
"How do you think?" he shot back, sarcastically. He finally struggled free of his coat and threw in to the floor before stumbling to the stairs.  
  
"Did you get that promotion?" She closed her eyes and grimaced at her own stupidity. He wouldn't be drunk if he had gotten the promotion. She saw the anger flash in his eyes the moment the words passed her lips and if it were possible, she regretted them even more.  
  
"Thomas Wilder got the damn thing," he answered, stumbling as he tried to make it up the stairs. "It's only because he's sleeping with that bitch I'm forced to call a boss."  
  
"I'm sure it..."  
  
"I don't have time for you," he snapped, pushing her roughly out of his way so he could get to his bedroom. Not expecting the sudden attack, Haley lost her balance and fell into the wall. Feeling dizzy from the impact the crash had on her head, she slowly slid to the ground to try and gain her composure.  
  
Haley watched as her father looked down at her like she was pathetic before totally forgetting about her and going into his room. She flinched a little as the door slammed, but was overall grateful that he dad didn't do anything worse. She knew that once his door was shut, he wasn't going to be coming back out. She wouldn't be surprised if he was already passed out on his bed.  
  
She brought a hand to the back of her head, checking to see if there was any blood. Surprisingly, there wasn't any. Usually, after an encounter with her father, she was almost dizzy with the amount of blood that she lost. Deciding she should get up and into her room encase her father chose to make an unexpected return showing, she pushed herself up off the floor and stumbled to her room.

**--Sweet is the voice of a sister in the season of sorrow.--**

She sighed in contentment when she felt the comfort of her sister's bed surround her. There was just something about being in the other girl's bed that made her feel safe, feel loved. She could remember all the nights that they spend huddled in this bed together, listening to their parents fight and argue. She missed that, the togetherness – not the fighting and arguing.  
  
Doing what she always did when things got bad with her father, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed her sister's number. Knowing it would take a few rings for her to wake up, she waited patiently, wiping the few tears away that managed to fall down her face.  
  
"Hel-hello?" came the sleepy voice on the other end of the phone. As soon as she heard her sister's voice, she calmed down. "Dude, it's three in the morning. Either say something or go to hell."  
  
"Brooke?" she whispered, not trusting her own voice. Not only that, but she didn't want her father to overhear them, that's why she always made sure to use her cell.  
  
"Hales?" Brooke asked, suddenly very awake. She waited for her sister to say something, but all she got was silence. "Haley, is that you?"  
  
"Yeah." Haley and Brooke hadn't seen each other in over two years, but they could still read each other like an open book. Haley didn't have to say more than one word for Brooke to know what had just happened.  
  
Jimmy and Grace, their parents, had never gotten along very well, they were always yelling and screaming at each other, but as far as the girls knew, their father had never hit their mother, just made her life a living hell. So finally after almost twenty years of marriage, Grace filed for divorce.  
  
It wasn't a very messy one, the only thing that they disagreed on, was custody of the twins. After almost a month of court appearances, it was decided that Grace would get Brooke and Jimmy got Haley. In the interest of getting as far away from her former husband as possible, Grace moved her and Brooke to a town called Tree Hill down in North Carolina.  
  
Both girls resented their mother for just leaving Haley alone with their father like that. Brooke had begged and pleaded with Grace to go back and get Haley, but she thought that it was silly and that Haley would be perfectly fine. She didn't think that Jimmy would ever hurt Haley, she couldn't be anymore wrong. Now, every time Jimmy would hurt Haley, Brooke was the first person she called because it seemed like she was the only person that cared.  
  
"Are you okay?" she asked as she pushed herself up in her bed. She looked over at her sleeping boyfriend lying beside her and thanked God that Lucas slept like a log. She would have a very hard time explaining a phone call this late at night.  
  
"For the most part," Haley answered, pulling the covers around her body. She kept one ear open, listening to make sure that her dad stayed in his room.  
  
"I'm sorry," she whispered, slipping out of bed and moving to the door. She wouldn't want Luke to wake up and hear their conversation. He didn't know she had a twin sister, nobody in Tree Hill did. Talking about Haley was something that Brooke wasn't good at, mostly because it just got her worked up and worried about her sister. She made her way into the guest room and laid down on the bed.  
  
"No, it was my fault," Haley told her. She always did this, blaming herself for letting him hit her. Brooke tried to convince her to stop doing it, that it wasn't her fault, but she never listened. "I should have just left him alone."  
  
"Hales, this is not your fault," Brooke told her forcefully. "He's a jackass and he always will be. So, stop blaming yourself, okay?"  
  
"Okay." Both girls knew that she didn't mean it, but neither said anything. They stayed in silence for a few moments.  
  
"I'm gonna come get you one day," Brooke told her. Every time they talked, she always told her this and she still hadn't done anything about it. "I promise." Haley smiled slightly at her words, taking them for what they were, a comfort. She knew they were nothing more than that, just something to get her through the night, but a part of her always had hope in her sister's words.  
  
"Tigger?"  
  
"Yeah, baby?"  
  
"Could you stay on the line until I fall asleep?" Brooke smiled at the question. She didn't know why her sister even asked anymore, they did this every time she called. Brooke would lie there and listen to Haley breathing until she was sure she was asleep. It was a comfort to both of them, Haley feeling safe and Brooke knowing Haley was safe.  
  
"Of course."  
  
"Thanks." The girls laid on their respective beds, just listening to each other breathing. Finally, after ten minutes, Brooke heard Haley's steady breathing, signaling that she was asleep.  
  
"Hales?" she whispered, wanting to make sure that she was asleep before she hung up. "Baby?" Nothing. She was asleep. "I love you." She got off the bed and slipped back into her room. "Goodnight." She hung up her phone and placed it back on the dresser. At the feeling of her plopping back down on the bed, Lucas woke up.  
  
"Brooke?" he called out, turning over to look at her. He was confused to see her sitting up. Without responding to his questioning tone, she lay back down and snuggled into him. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. "Everything okay?"  
  
"No," she answered quietly. She hoped that Luke was too tired to hear her, but a part of her hoped he did. Someone needed to be brave, and it was clearly not her. She knew that her sister was in trouble and all she was doing was talking to her on the phone. Haley was slowly disappearing right in front of her and she was doing nothing to stop it. She was the only person Haley had, she was counting on her and she was letting her down big time. She was in over her head, she needed help. They both needed saving.  
  
-OTH-

So? What do you think. I know that it doesn't look Naley at the moment, but it will be. It might take a couple chapters, but I promise that it will appear. I can't promise that they will be the main storyline, but they will show up a lot.  
  
So, if you think I should continue, please reply. Thanks. 


	2. Seems Like I’m Never Coming Home

Author's Note: Hey, everyone. Thank you so much to those of you who reviewed. This one is for all of you. I know I said I probably couldn't update that often, I'll more than likely be doing it daily, since I have up to chapter 10 posted elsewhere. The more reviews I get, the faster I'll update. Enjoy.

-OTH-

--**I know some sisters who only see each other on Mother's Day and some who will never speak again. But most are like my sister and me... linked by volatile love, best friends who make other best friends ever so slightly less best.--**  
  
When Haley and Brooke were younger, they were always the most popular kids in school. Every girl wanted to be them and every boy wanted to date them, well they did when they got out of their 'girls are icky' phase. They were always invited to all the coolest parties and get togethers. They were pretty much the Olsen twins of their hometown, only the James twins.  
  
But as soon as Brooke left town, once they were separated, it was as if no one wanted anything to do with Haley. She figured it was because they all liked Brooke better and now that she was gone, there was no need to hang around Haley. After being alone for the first month, Haley pretty much got used to it. She got up, went to school, came home, had a run in with Jimmy, talked to Brooke, fell asleep and did it all over again.  
  
"I'm home!" she called out as she entered the house. She knew that her father won't be home, but there was a chance that the cleaning lady might still be there. She dropped her bag on the floor and entered the kitchen to see if Sheri was there, but she wasn't. She shrugged, grabbed a bottle of water and made her way up to her room.  
  
A part of her wished she had homework, at least that way she would have something to do, something to keep her mind off the tragedy she called her life. She made a mental note to sleep in all her classes on Monday so she would have homework. Just when she was about to pull out the novel she was currently in the middle of reading, her cell phone rang. She smiled since she already knew who it was; there was only one person in the entire world that knew her cell phone number.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey, baby," Brooke's voice greeted her. All the terrible thoughts that she was thinking quickly disappeared at the sound of her sister's voice. "How's my twin/slightly younger sister doing?"  
  
"Slightly younger sister?" Haley asked. This was the closest she had come to happy in the longest time. "Tigger, you were born five minutes before me."  
  
"And that was the longest five minutes of my life," she answered. Even after two years, Haley knew what Brooke's face looked like; she had a huge grin on her face. "I remember grandma said that she was surprised that I actually lasted those five minutes in the world without you."  
  
"Well, you know grandma and her crack use," Haley laughed, getting up from her lounging position on her bed to flop down on Brooke's old bed. "So, how are things with that boyfriend of yours? He still think you're an only child?"  
  
"Yeppers." Haley knew everything there was to know about the relationship between her sister and Lucas Scott. Brooke made sure to keep her in the loop about everything that involved her social life. Haley however shared nothing about the going ons in her social life; do to the lack of it. "We actually have a hot date tonight."  
  
"Oh, really?" Haley asked, raising her eyebrow suggestively even though her sister couldn't see it. "What does Mr. Scott have planned for you? Is he going to take you out to some fancy dinner place then take you back to his house for some alone time?"  
  
"I doubt it," Brooke sighed. "I'm sure we'll do what we do every Friday, which is hang out at his mom's café with the gang." If Haley didn't know any better, she would say Brooke sounded jealous. Haley laughed lightly.  
  
"So very romantic."  
  
"Well, he's hot so he doesn't have to be," Brooke defended him. "Speaking of hot, you and Luke's brother Nathan would be perfect for each other." Haley rolled her eyes at her sister's words.  
  
"Not this again, Brooke."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Well, for one, I have no interest in dating anyone," Haley began; letting out a sigh, wanting to make sure that her sister understood that she was not budging on this.  
  
"And two?"  
  
"Your friends don't even know I exist," Haley finished. Brooke sighed, wishing for once that her sister didn't have to take things so seriously. Then on second thought, her life was very serious, so she should probably cut her a break. "How do you expect to get me and this Nathan dude hooked up?"  
  
"Relax, babe," Brooke instructed, laughing slightly at the serious tone in Haley's voice. "I was just teasing. I just thought it would be cool if we ended up marring brothers." Haley rolled her eyes and shifted so she was lying on her back.  
  
"Why, so we can be sister-in-laws?"  
  
"Exactly!" Brooke cheered. Haley had to pull the phone away from her ear at the sound because it was so loud. "Sometimes, I swear we share a brain."  
  
"Well, in that case, I hope it's mine." The girls spent the next few hours on the phone together. Brooke told her all about the gang which consists of; her, Lucas, Nathan, Peyton, Jake, Theresa and Tim. A part of Haley had to admit that she was jealous of the relationships that Brooke had, but she just chalked it up to missing her sister.  
  
"What's wrong, Hales?" Brooke could tell that something was bothering her sister. She was starting to get quieter as they went along. Knowing that her sister was just going to give her some lame excuse. "And don't say it's nothing because I know you better than you know yourself. So out with it."  
  
"It's nothing," Haley tried. After she heard Brooke groaning on the other end she let out a sigh. "Fine, it's just, I'm a little jealous, okay?"  
  
"Jealous of what?"  
  
"Your life," Haley answered quietly. She couldn't believe that she was actually saying this. She was acting like a big baby. "It's like you have this whole new life and I'm not in it."  
  
"Haley Elizabeth James!" Brooke exclaimed, quickly jumping up from her lounging position on her bed into a sitting on. She couldn't believe her ears. Where was this coming from?  
  
"Oh, don't middle name me!"  
  
"If this isn't a time for middle naming, I don't know what is," Brooke defended. Haley shook her head; she never should have said anything. "Baby, how can you say something like that? How can you even think it?"  
  
"It's just..." Haley searched for the right words to describe her feelings that wouldn't cause Brooke to rip her head off. "You have all these new things going on, you know. Like, Luke, for example. You've been dating him for over a year, you lost your virginity to him, and I don't even know what he looks like."  
  
"Hales, come on..."  
  
"And that Peyton chick," Haley cut her off. It felt good to get things off her chest, she needed this. "All I hear is how much you two have in common and how much fun you have together. You guys go clubbing together, have sleepovers and gossip about boys. It's like she's replaced me." She took a deep breath to try and calm herself down a little. "I'm being a baby, I know this, but I can't help the way I feel."  
  
"Haley," Brooke stated, wanting to make sure that she had the girl's full attention. When Haley didn't say anything, she continued. "That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard in my entire life."  
  
"I know, but I just..."  
  
"Haley," Brooke repeated. Haley stopped. "That's never gonna happen. I love you more than anything, you are the one person that I've known my entire life and that's never gonna change. It's always gonna be you and me. No matter how many how many Peytons or how many Lukes come in my life, it's you and me, forever. Okay?"  
  
"Okay," Haley whispered. She felt better now. She should have known how silly she was being. Leave it to Brooke to make her feel better. It was as if, no matter how big her problem was or how bad she felt, Brooke always made it better.  
  
"Now, I need your help to pick something out for tonight." Haley laughed at the excited tone in Brooke's voice and the sudden subject change. Before she had a chance to agree to anything, she heard the front door open and slam shut.  
  
"Daddy's home," she informed Brooke in a hushed tone. She cursed herself for leaving her bag by the door, now he knew she was there. She listened to the banging going on down stairs and grimaced when she heard her father call her name. "I better go."  
  
"Are you gonna be okay?" Brooke asked, terrified that her father was going to hurt her sister. She felt her heart rate speed up about five paces as she heard the yelling going on.  
  
"Hopefully," Haley responded. Jimmy started to come up the stairs. "I really gotta go, Tigger. He's coming up the stairs."  
  
"Call me back," Brooke ordered her, speaking quickly. Haley could clearly hear the panic in her voice. "Whatever time, I don't care, I just need to know you're okay."  
  
"I will," Haley answered. She quickly jumped off of Brooke's bed and ran to the door, fumbling with the lock. She knew that it won't hold him off for long, but it was better than nothing. "Love you."  
  
"I love you, too, bab..." Haley hung up her phone before Brooke could finish. She needed to get it hidden before her father came in. He had no idea that she had a cell phone and he certainly didn't know that she talked to Brooke everyday for the past two years. He didn't know where she lived, and Haley would do anything to keep it that way.  
  
She ran back to her bed and pulled up the floorboard beside it. She tossed her phone in there and covered it back up, pulling her laundry basket over to lie on top of it. She sat back on her bed, grabbing the teddy bear that she and Brooke used to share and buried her face in her knees, waiting for her father to reach her door.

**--Some men just aren't cut out for paternity. Better they should realize it before and not after they become responsible for a son.--**

"Haley!" Jimmy yelled as he made it to the top of the stairs and stalked towards his daughter's bedroom. He reached for the knob and was infuriated when he found it locked. "Get your ass up and unlock the damn door!"  
  
"Daddy, please..." she cried from the other side of the door. He did not have time for this. He had a very bad day and he needed to relieve some of his anger. Locking herself in her room was only making matters worse.  
  
"Shut up, you little bitch!" He hit the door a couple times with his shoulder and smirked when he heard the wood splinter under the pressure. With one more hit, the door flew open to relieve a terrified Haley, huddled up on her bed, holding onto a stuffed bear for dear life. He slammed the door shut again and stomped over to the bed. Haley looked up at him and tired to plead with him.  
  
"No, please..." She was cut off when the back of his hand connected with her face. She immediately shut her mouth. Before she had time to bring a hand to her nose, she was assaulted by more punches.  
  
"I told you to shut up," he said, each word was punctured by another punch. She closed her eyes and tried to think of a better place, a better time. She thought about all the times she and Brooke had partied with their friends or those Christmas mornings when they would fight over who got to open up the first gift.  
  
She thought of anything to block out the feeling of her father's hands all over her, touching her in places that she had never been touched before. Places that she only wanted her husband to touch. She squeezed her eyes shut as the tears began to fall. She wasn't sure if she was crying because of the physical pain of her father forcing himself into her or the emotional pain of knowing that this was the last day of her innocence.  
  
Whichever it was, she knew that this was it. He was doing the one thing that she had been the most afraid of. Brooke had made her promise to tell her if he ever did something like this, because she would be there within an hour to get her out of there. Everybody had their limits, and Haley was at her's. She was done letting her father treat her like this, done worrying her sister silly and she was done living in this house. She was always told that home was supposed to be your safe place, the place were you could always go and feel loved. This wasn't her home anymore; it hadn't been the moment Brooke walked out of it. Her home was not a place, it was a person. And that person was Brooke.  
  
She was finally ready to go home.  
  
--OTH--  
  
All right, so I know it was lame and once again there was no Naley, but you will all just have to sit patiently and wait. I promise that it will come. In fact, Nathan will be making his grand entrance in the next chapter. Tell me what you think and I'll update as soon as I can


	3. 10 Different Ways I Could End this Night

Author's Note: Hey, everyone. Thank you soooo much to all of you that replied. It gave me the push to update faster. I hope you all like this chapter. If you do, or have anything that you want to say, please reply. Thanks.

-OTH-

--**Some have been thought brave because they were afraid to run away.--**

Haley lay still on her bed, staring blankly up at the ceiling. She wasn't crying, she was finished with that for at least the next hour. She was just laying there, her face expressionless as she remembered the horrible things that her father had just done to her. A part of her felt ashamed that she let it go that far, but the rational part, the part she liked to call Brooke, was telling her that it wasn't her fault.  
  
Her father had done his business, slapped her around a little bit more, and left. He made sure to threaten her into keeper her mouth shut, before walking out and back to his room. She hadn't moved an inch since he left, just stayed there and counted the tiles on her ceiling over and over again.  
  
She didn't know what to do. For the first time in her entire life, she was absolutely clueless. Of course, as soon as her father left, her first instinct was to pull out her phone and call Brooke, but she knew she couldn't. If she told Brooke about what their father just did, there was no doubt in her mind that Brooke would come and get her. She couldn't let that happened. If their father saw Brooke in their house, he would attack her, no question, and Haley refused to let that happen.  
  
The other part of the situation was calling her to get the hell out of there. She had thought about this before, encase it ever came to this. She was going to call a cab and have it take her to Tree Hill, to Brooke. Once, she had come so close to actually doing it, she had called the cab and everything, but when it got there, she just couldn't get in. She didn't know what it was that stopped her, but something did.  
  
She had always told herself it was because she didn't want her father to find out where she was some how and come and get her. In the process of doing that, she would lead him right to Brooke. She was willing to do anything to keep her sister safe.  
  
The thing she wasn't able to admit to herself was the fact that she was trying to be brave. Her mother and, to a degree, her grandmother had always told her that only cowards ran away from things. They had always taught her and Brooke to be brave little girls and face their fears. She felt that if she ran away now, she was a coward.  
  
It wasn't until she was laying there in the dark, basically contemplating her future, did she realize how stupid she had been. She thought over the past two years, and found herself laughing at what an idiot she was. How could she let him treat her like that? If she was watching a bad made for TV movie about this, there was no doubt in her mind that she would be yelling at the screen, telling the girl to get the hell out of there.  
  
It was amazing how things became so different in real life. When did she start living in some cheesy movie of the week? Wait, she knew that answer. Two years ago.  
  
She shook her head, roughly wiping away the tears she had let fall, and reached down to her cell phone. She pulled it up and dialed the first cab company that came to mind. Her hands began to shake as she waited for someone to answer.  
  
"Rapid Taxi, Marie speaking," a woman with a very distinctive accent answered the phone. "How may I help you?"  
  
"How much money to you think it would cost to take a cab from the arena to Tree Hill?" She waited for the woman to work out the cost as she got off the bed. She held the phone between her shoulder and ear, getting down on her knees to pull out the duffle bag she knew she had underneath her bed.  
  
"Ma'am?" Haley grunted, signaling that she was still there. She walked over to her dresser and pulled out a few pairs of pants and underwear. She loved her sister to death, but she did not want to share underwear with her. "The total will come to about $120, depending on where in Tree Hill you are dropped off."  
  
"Okay," she answered, stopping her moments and bringing a hand to her head. She closed her eyes as she tried to remember how much birthday money she had saved in her stash. "One minute."  
  
"Sure." Haley quickly moved to her closet, careful not to make any noise. She doubted that her father would wake up, he never did, but knowing the way things have been going lately, this would be the one time he did. She titled her head to the side to keep the phone in place as she pushed her way through all the crap she had in there. She finally found the shoebox that her and Brooke saved their money in when they were kids and pulled out the money. She quickly counted it, whispering the numbers out loud as she did so.  
  
"Okay, I have exactly..." She trailed off, adding up the coins she was fingering. "$123. 62. Is that going to be enough?" She held her breath, hoping beyond hope that would get her where is needed to go. But if worse came to worse, she could take the cab for as far as it would take her and then walk the rest of the way.  
  
"We can work out a flat rate if you'd prefer," the woman offered. "We can charge you $120 now and the driver will turn off his clock. Is that what you'd like to do?"  
  
"Yes!" Haley exclaimed in the loudest whisper the world has ever heard. She calmed her self down a bit, pushing up to her feet and back over to her bed. "Yes, that would be great."  
  
"What time would you like the cab to be at the arena?" Haley glanced at her watch and the things she had packed. She knew that she needed more things, but she really just needed to get the hell out of there as soon as possible before her father woke up.  
  
"Ten minutes," she answered. "The guy's not going to leave if I'm a few minutes late will he?" The woman laughed lightly at the panic in her voice.  
  
"No, I'll be sure he waits," she assured her. Haley could hear her typing away on her computer. "There will be a cab waiting for you outside the arena in ten minutes."  
  
"Thank you," she whispered before closing her phone. Not giving it any more thought, Haley began rushing around the room, grabbing the all the important things that she would need. Once everything was packed away in the duffle bag, she sighed. She looked around the room one last time. The room that she used to love so much that had turned into the place she hated the most.  
  
"Come on, Hales," she told herself. "You can do this. It's time to be brave." With one last look, she carefully opened her door; peeking out first to make sure that her father was in his room. Seeing his door closed, she slipped out of her room, closing the wooden door on her way out.  
  
She tiptoed down the hall, cursing the person that decided to put the master bedroom in front of the stairs. She paused when she reached her father's door. She laid her hand on the cool wood and listened in to hear his steady breathing. She had a flash of him wiping open the door, roughly grabbing her around the waist and pulling her into his room for a second go.  
  
She suppressed the imagine, afraid that she might let out a scream if she did and quickly descended the stairs. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror by the front door and sighed. She looked horrible. She had a fat lip, a black eye, a huge gash from her father's ring on her forehead and dried blood all over her face. She looked down at her clothes and frowned. The entire bottom of her shirt was ripped off, exposing the ever-growing black and blue bruise that cover most of her stomach and her pants were ripped slightly on the inner thigh of both sides.  
  
She looked like the poster child for child abuse and rape, but she didn't have time to change. She was practically trembling with fear that her father would catch her trying to get out, so she wasn't going to stop for anything. Running an idle finger along the cut on her forehead, she closed her eyes. She knew that this was the right thing to do, but she just couldn't get passed the thought that she was taking the coward's way out.  
  
Hearing the creaking of her father's bed, signaling that he was turning over, she snapped out of her daze. She shook her head, grabbed her duffle bag and slipped out the door. She moved fast down the street, not wanting anyone to see her in the state she was in. She was at the arena in less than four minutes, and just like the lady said, there was a cab waiting. Without a word, she opened the back door and got in.  
  
"Hello, young lady," the driver says, turning back to look at her. She can tell by the look that comes on his face that he's surprise to see how beaten up she looks. He knows not comment on it though. "A little late to making last minute plans, ain't it?"  
  
"It's only eight thirty," she tells him, looking at her watch. He smiles and her and nods his head. It's the time of year where it gets darker a lot earlier than it did before. Haley hated it this time of year. Bad stuff always happens in the dark.  
  
"Where to?" he asked, even though he knew where he was going. Marie had already informed him where he would be going to make sure he was up to the task.  
  
"Tree Hill," she answered quietly. She knew that the guy was nice and was just trying to make conversation, but she really wasn't in the mood to make any new friends. She just wanted to get the hell away from this place as soon as possible. He nodded and pulled the car away from the curb. He looked at her in the rearview mirror and saw all the bruises. He felt more than a little sorry for her.  
  
"So, what's in Tree Hill?" Haley's eyes shoot up to meet his in the mirror. For a second she thought that he could read her mind. She quickly adverted her gaze and stared out the window. She watched as they drove passed her house.  
  
"Home."  
  
--**Is solace anywhere more comforting than that in the arms of a sister?--**  
  
Brooke James sat in the booth that she had sat in almost every night since she arrived in Tree Hill. She was surrounded by the same people that had always been nothing but nice to her since she meet them. She was pressed up against her boyfriend's side, she was sitting with the people she considered her closest friends in Tree Hill. So why wasn't she happy?  
  
Okay, so that was a stupid question. She knew very well why she wasn't happy. She was missing her other half. Things just weren't the same when she didn't have Haley with her. And it wasn't just the general Haley missage she always felt, but it was the fact that she was so worried about her sister right now. She still hadn't heard from her yet, and she was beginning to fear the worst.  
  
"What's up with you tonight?" Peyton asked from her position across from her. She had noticed that Brooke had hardly said two words the entire night. Considering she was always the perkiest one in the group, Peyton was starting to worry. Brooke didn't hear her, just continued to poke her straw in and out of the lid of her drink. "Brooke?" She still got no response. Peyton grabbed a fry off Tim's plate and threw it at her friend.  
  
"Huh?" Brooke snapped out of her daze and looked up to find six eyes drilling a hole into her. She looked around at all of them in confusion before settling her gaze on the blonde that had asked the question.  
  
"What's up?" Peyton repeated. "You've been somewhere else all night?"  
  
"I'm sorry," she said, directing it to the whole group. She shook her head and plastered a fake smile on her face. She was doing that a lot lately, faking things. "I've just been thinking about something. Nothing to worry that empty little head of yours over."  
  
"Funny," Peyton commented, throwing another fry at her. Brooke smirked, happy that her plan had worked. Whenever she wanted to get a subject change, making fun of Peyton was always a sure fire way to do that. Brooke knew that they would all start in on a conversation that didn't involve her, so she went back into her little world, blocking them all out.  
  
"Dude," Tim exclaimed, putting an arm around his plate of precious French fries. He glared at her and practically growled when she tried to reach for another one. "Would you stop wasting my fries? I spend good money on these."  
  
"Luke's mom gave them to you for free," Nathan pointed out, kicking him in the shin under the table. Tim's eyes widened at the pain that shot up his leg and quickly reached under the table to rub it.  
  
"Ow!"  
  
"Now, boys," Theresa began, trying to get them to calm down. They were lucky that it was almost eleven and hardly anybody was there or else they would have been thrown out hours ago. "Is there really any need to be violent?"  
  
"You know them," Jake commented, wrapping his arm around Peyton's waist and leaning forward to take a sip of his Coke. "They are typical teenage males. They must solve all of their problems with violence." Peyton laughed and nodded her head, indicating that she agreed.  
  
"Like you never fight," Lucas laughed, grabbing a fry off of Tim's unwatched plate. He noticed that Brooke had gone off again and decided it was best to just leave her there. She would come out when she was ready and not before then.  
  
"What can I say," Jake shrugged, kissing Peyton lightly on the lips. "I'm a lover, not a fighter." Peyton giggled and snuggled closer into him. He shot the other boys a victorious smile and kissed Peyton's hair.   
  
"Or you're gay," Tim put in. Both Peyton and Jake reached back and slapped him in the back of the head. He let out a screech and brought his hand to the back of his head. He glared at them as they smiled. "Not a fighter, my ass."  
  
Nobody noticed the door open or the girl that stumbled inside until she bumped into a table. They immediately stopped their conversation and looked over at the door. There stood Haley in all her glory. Her clothes torn, her body bruised and her face beaten almost to the point that she was unrecognizable.  
  
"Look what the cat dragged in," Nathan commented under his breath. He thought that she was just some homeless person who had wandered in off the streets. He didn't realize that she was around their age. Peyton and Theresa both glared at him for being so insensitive. "What?"   
  
"You're such a jerk," Peyton snapped at him. He rolled his eyes, used to being scolded by the girls and went back to his meal. The others hadn't torn their gaze off the beaten up girl. Brooke noticed the absence of banter going on and lifted her head to see what was going on.  
  
Seeing that everyone was looking at something she followed their gaze. She eyes widen at the sight. She didn't recognize who it was at first. She hadn't seen her sister in two years, and the years between fifteen and seventeen are the years you change the most. However it only took her looking into the girl's eyes to know who it was.  
  
"Hales?" she whispered. Everyone turned their eyes off of Haley and looked at Brooke in confusion. She completely ignored them and slowly got out of the booth. She finally noticed the state her sister was in and she almost stumble to her knees at the realization of what must have happened. "Oh, God."  
  
"Brooke," Haley whispered, her voice cracking as the tears started to descend down her cheeks. She watched as Brooke stumbled over to her. "I didn't know where else to go." Brooke shook her head, finally reaching her sister.  
  
"To me, baby," she stated, tears falling down her cheeks as well. "You can always come to me." Brooke opened her arms and Haley fell into them. They both sank to the floor and cried. Haley was amazed at how good it felt to be in her sister's arms. She should have done this two years ago. "I'm your safe place."  
  
Six very confused teenager watched the scene in front of them. They all looked at each other for an explanation, but clearly nobody had one. It was obvious that Brooke knew that person, knew them really well by the looks of it, but no one knew who it was.  
  
"Who is that?" Nathan asked, staring at the girl in Brooke's arms. He didn't know why, but something was telling him that she was going to need him. He watched with the others as the girls clung to each other for dear life, as if their lives depended on it. And he had a feeling that they did.  
  
-OTH-  
  
So, what do you guys think? I hope it wasn't that bad. I'm not sure about this fic, so please tell me if you think I should continue or not.


	4. This Is Going to Break Me Clean In Two

Author's Note: Hey, everyone. Once again, thank you so much for the amazing reviews. I don't think you realize how much they motivate me to update faster. Anyway, please tell me what you think of this chapter. Enjoy.  
  
-OTH-

--**Hope is the expectation that something outside of ourselves, something or someone external, is going to come to our rescue and we will live happily ever after.--**

Brooke didn't know what to think. One minute she was lost in her own mind, completely ignoring the mundane conversation that her friend's were having and the next she's holding onto her sister for dear life and praying to God that everything will be okay. She felt Haley's arms wrap tighter around her and she did the same. She closed her eyes, hoping that it will stop the tears from coming. She had to be strong, for Haley.  
  
When Brooke realized that it was Haley standing at the entrance of the Café, almost beaten to a bloody pulp, she literally almost died. The emotions that ran through her at the sight were completely foreign to her. Sure, she had talked about it with Haley on the phone, listened to the stories she told, but seeing the damage that her father had done was something else entirely.  
  
Seeing her 'little' sister all beat up like that was enough to make her want to murder someone. She had never, ever felt that way in her entire life. She did not enjoy it. The first time that Haley had called her in tears after Jimmy had hit her, she immediately felt an intense hatred towards her father and never intended to see him again, but what she was feeling now was different.  
  
As she looked down on her sister's shaking form in her arms, she is filled with an intense rage that is unlike anything she has ever felt. It's almost as if she has the strength to rip her father to pieces if she ever saw him again. All the muscles in her body tighten when she pictures her father beating her sister. She knows she needs to calm down because if she doesn't, she's just going to hurt Haley more than she already has.  
  
There isn't a sound heard in the Café besides Haley's agonizing sobs. The only people in the establishment were the six teenagers sitting in their regular booth and an older couple that liked to stay in there until closing every night. Karen had come out from the back when she heard the crying and was now standing behind the counter, staring at the girls in shock, just as completely clueless as the others.  
  
Brooke leaned back a little so she can see Haley's face. Feeling her sister recoil, Haley knew what she wanted and looked up. When Brooke saw the lost look and the loneliness in her eyes, Brooke lost her battle against her tears and they slid down her cheek.  
  
"Baby," Brooke whispered, brushing a strain of hair out of Haley's eyes. Haley flinched as Brooke's fingers touched the open cut on her forehead. "Sorry."  
  
"It's okay," Haley told her, giving her a weak smile. As happy as Brooke was to see her sister smile, she had to admit that it was kind of creepy as her white teeth clashed with her dirty face.  
  
"What happened?" Brooke asked, trying not to sound pushy. She shifted her position a little bit, wanting Haley to be as comfortable as possible. Haley shook her head, letting her eyes wander to all the other people that were staring at them.  
  
"Not now," she pleaded. Brooke nodded and held Haley tighter. At the sudden pressure, Haley gasped at pulled back slightly, lifting up her shirt to examine the huge bruise.  
  
"Damn," Brooke sighed, eyeing the black and blue mark that stretched almost the entire length of Haley's abdomen. "We need to get you home." She looked Haley over, trying her hardest not to look at the tears in her pants, knowing that if she did she might just break down.  
  
"Okay," Haley whispered, nodding her head slightly. Brooke kissed her softly on the hair before glancing over at the booth full of her friends. She knew that Haley wouldn't want to be around any guys right now so Luke, Nathan and Jake were out, Tim was an idiot and Theresa was a bitch. That left Peyton.  
  
"Peyton," Brooke snapped, trying to get the attention of the blonde. Peyton blinked a couple times before looking over at Brooke, trying her best not to stare at Haley. "Get your car. You're driving us home."  
  
"But, I don't..."  
  
"Now!" Brooke yelled. She regretted it as soon as she did it as Haley whimpered and jumped. She immediately turned her attention back to the weak girl and whispered reassurances in her ear.  
  
"Alright," Peyton sighed, reaching into the booth behind her to grab her coat that was buried underneath all the others. "Bye, sweetie." She gave Jake a quick kiss and slipped out of the booth. By the time she was at Brooke's side, the girl was already struggling to get up and carry the weight of her sister.  
  
"A little help," Brooke moaned, as she almost crumbled under the extra weight on her shoulder. Peyton rushed up and grabbed Haley around the waist before she could fall and threw her other arm around her shoulder. Together Brooke and Peyton were able to keep Haley steady.  
  
"Bye, guys," she called over her shoulder, making sure not to say it on Haley's side. When she did, she noticed Nathan staring after them, or more specifically the mystery girl. How cute, little Natey has his first crush.  
  
The girls walked out of the Café. Lucky for them, Peyton's car was parked right outside the door. Peyton maneuvered Haley so she could grab the handle of the door and open it.  
  
Brooke helped Haley into the back seat before slipping in after her. Once they were inside, Peyton shut the door and walked around to her side. She got in and started the car, carefully pulling it away from the curb. They rode in silence, the only sound that could be heard were Haley's tiny sobs.  
  
"Everything's going to be okay, baby," Brooke assured her, running her fingers threw her hair like their mother used to do when they were little. It always seemed to calm them down. "You'll be home soon."  
  
Peyton glanced in the rearview mirror, watching the girls in the back. She tried to look at all the marks on Haley's face, but couldn't see all of them. She didn't know what happened to her, but she knew it must have been brutal. She still didn't know who this girl was, obviously someone from Brooke's past, but who? Right now it didn't matter to her, see just needed to get them to Brooke's house.  
  
"I am home," Haley whispered. Brooke looked at her strangely for a moment, but didn't say anything, just continued to run her hands through her hair as they drove in silence.  
  
--**You'll be surprised to know how far you can go from the point where you thought it was the end.**--  
  
Peyton closed the door after Brooke and Haley walked through it. She followed them into the living room, but stayed away, keeping her distance. She leaned on the doorframe and watched as Brooke laid Haley down on the couch. Peyton didn't want to interrupt their reunion or whatever, but she didn't want to leave in fear that she might be needed in some way.  
  
"Let me get a good look a you," Brooke decided, moving herself off the couch to sit on the coffee table in front of Haley. Haley nodded and pushed herself up in a sitting position, lifting up her shirt to show Brooke the damage. "Oh, sweetie. Does it hurt?"  
  
"Like a bitch," Haley muttered, clenching her teeth when she saw the Brooke was reaching out to touch it. "But I've had worse."  
  
"Really not much of a comfort, my dear," Brooke told her, pushing her over slightly so she could get a better look at her back. From what she could see, there wasn't much markings on her back, just a little bit of bruising, but it was nothing compared to her stomach.  
  
"Yeah, that sounded better in my head." She was trying her hardest to keep things light, but she knew that their banter wasn't going to last for long. Sooner or later, Brooke's overprotective nature was going to come out and demand some answers. Brooke didn't commented; she was too busy, probing the rest of Haley's body for injuries.  
  
"Pey, can you go up to my room and grab a pair of sweat pants and one of Luke's hoodies?" Peyton didn't answer, her eyes locked on the massive bruise on Haley's stomach. "Peyton." She snapped her fingers, bring Peyton to her senses.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"Can you go grab some sweats from my room for her?" Peyton blinked a couple times and shook her head. She gave her a forced smile, nodded and took off in the direction of Brooke's room. Brooke stared after her for a moment before turning back to Haley.  
  
"So, that's the infamous Peyton?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"She's pretty," Haley commented. Brooke smiled and nodded. She knew what Haley was doing; she was trying to avoid the third degree. Unfortunately for her, there was no way out of it.  
  
"I'm just gonna go get something to clean you up," Brooke informed her, starting to get up. "Will you be okay alone for a second?" Haley nodded. Brooke kissed her forehead and left for the kitchen. She wasn't gone for more the ten seconds, when Peyton came back into the room.  
  
"Here you go," Peyton said, handing Haley the sweats. She looked around the room, obviously looking for the missing brunette. "Where's Brooke?"  
  
"Oh, she's just getting something from the kitchen." Peyton nodded and looked around. Decided that it wasn't her place to be there, she turned to leave, but stopped when she felt Haley's hand on her arm. "Wait." Peyton turned around and frowned when she saw the nasty bruise on Haley's wrist. "Would you mind staying? I really don't want to be alone right now."  
  
"Um, sure," she answer uneasy. She didn't even know this girl's name and she was already fighting the urge to just gather her in her arms and never let go. She just looked so small and weak.  
  
"Thanks." Peyton nodded, not knowing what to do now. She didn't think it would be a good idea to sit beside the girl and the table was Brooke's spot so she opted for just standing there like an idiot.  
  
Within a minute, Brooke came back into the room, a bowl of hot water and a washcloth in hand. Without noticing the tension between the girls, she walked passed Peyton and sat back down on the table. She tabbed the cloth in the water and began to clean her sister up.  
  
Fifteen minutes later, Haley was almost good as new. All the dry blood had been washed off and the only marks visible were the cut on her forehead and all her bruises. After making sure that Haley was good enough to walk, Brooke sent her off in the direction of the bathroom to change.  
  
As soon as Haley was out of sight, Brooke flopped down on the couch with her head in her hands. She let out a loud groan and let the tears fall again. Now that Haley was gone, she was able to break down; she didn't have to be strong anymore. She hadn't realized how much it would take out of her, having to clean Haley's wounds like that. She could just imagine all the other wounds Haley had that she couldn't see.  
  
Ever since they were little, Brooke had always felt it was her duty to protect Haley from any form of hurt. Between the two of them, Haley was always the sensitive one, the shy one. Brooke was the outspoken one, the bitchy one if you wish. In some ways they were completely different, but in other ways they were exactly the same.  
  
There were plenty of times over the years that Haley would get herself into a situation and it would totally her fault, but Brooke was always there to help her, no matter what. If Michelle Winters were picking on Haley in the third grade, Brooke would be there to kick her in the shin. Or if Lydia Duncan was talking trash about Haley in ninth grade, Brooke would be there to bitch slap her.  
  
Or if their ass or a father were beating and raping Haley, Brooke would be there to clean up the mess. It didn't matter what Haley's problem was, Brooke was there to fix it because she knew Haley would do the same.  
  
Before Peyton had a chance to go to Brooke, Haley was back in the room and by her side in an instant. Haley tried to put an arm around Brooke, but she shook it off, feeling stupid. She shouldn't be the one being comforted right now. She roughly wiped the tears away and took a breath. Deciding she was ready to go, she looked up at the two girls staring at her.  
  
"I guess I should introduce you two," she suggested, completely ignoring the concerned looks she was getting from Peyton and Haley. The blonde knew that she should say something, but decided against it. After all, she really wanted to know who the hell this girl was.  
  
"Uh, I guess."  
  
"Hales," Brooke began, taking Haley's hand and squeezing it. "This is my good buddy, Peyton. She's all artist and broody, but she's really just a cheerleader at heart." Haley could hear the fakeness in her voice a mile away, but didn't call her on it. That could wait until they were alone.  
  
"It's nice to finally meet you," Haley said, reaching forward and shaking hands with Peyton. The blonde tried hand to ignore the fact that the other girl's hand was shaking like a wet leaf and took her hand. She raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Finally?"  
  
"I tell her all about you guys," Brooke answered, with a fake laugh. This time both girls caught it. By the look on Peyton's face, Brooke knew she was waiting for an explanation. "Oh, right. Peyton, this is my sister, Haley." Peyton's eyes widened.  
  
"Sister?" She didn't know what she expected, but sister wasn't it. She kind of just assumed that she was an old best friend of something. Brooke had never mentioned anything about a sister. Then again, she never really talked about her family at all.  
  
"Yeah," Brooke nodded, bouncing her head a little. "My twin sister." Peyton had to admit, they did look a lot alike. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't believe that she didn't see it before.  
  
"You never mentioned her before," Peyton replied. Brooke shrugged.  
  
"Oh, that's cause she lived with..."  
  
"Our jackass of a father," Haley interrupted. She was sick of Brooke walking around on eggshells. She hated when Brooke was fake. Brooke was always the kind of girl that never lied, and called them like she saw them. Brooke and Peyton both looked at her in surprise. "The one that likes to beat and rape me."  
  
Neither girl knew what to say. Brooke couldn't believe that Haley had just said that. Sure, she knew that all of it was true, but it wasn't until Haley had said it out loud that it finally sunk in. In Peyton's case, she was in shock. She had no idea what to say. She didn't know who she thought did that to Haley, but her father was the furthest from her mind. Suddenly, she felt a whole new wave of sympathy for the girl.  
  
"Baby..."  
  
"No, Tigger," Haley snapped, cutting her off. "You can't walk around it forever and you can't keep blaming yourself." The last thing she needed to deal with right now was a guilty Brooke. Besides, she knew whose fault this was already. "It happened. And I let it happen."  
  
She swore to God that if she had the strength or had even the slightest idea of where she was going, she would have stormed out of that room. But alas, she was weak and lost. So she had to settle for letting out an annoyed puff of breath and crossed her arms over her chest.  
  
-OTH-  
  
All right, I know that wasn't the greatest, probably the worst so far, but I am sooo frickin' tired right now, and I knew you guys wanted an update. So there you go. Please tell me what you think.  
  
Also, do you guys think that I should continue to do the little quotes to seperate the scenes or do you find them annoying?


	5. Don’t Be Surprised If Your Heart Hurts

Author's Note: Hey all! Thanks so much for all your replies, I'm glad that you guys are liking this. I think this chapter might be shorter than most of them, but it's still kind of long, I guess. Okay, I'm not sure what I'm saying anymore. Anyways, enjoy and please keep reviewing.

-OTH-

--**How do you pick up the threads of an old life? How do you go on, when in your heart you begin to understand: there is no going back?--**

Brooke didn't know what to say. She had never expected her sister to be so blunt about the whole thing. Throughout their entire lives, Haley was always so shy about things like things, the only time she ever said what she was really feeling was when she was alone with Brooke, never in front of someone else, especially a stranger.  
  
So for Haley to just come right out and say something like that right in front if Peyton, a girl she had just meet, was blowing Brooke's mind. In a way she understood were Haley was coming from, she would hate it if people acted weird around her too, but this was something that she couldn't stop from happening.  
  
If she blocked Haley out now, started treating her like she was a crystal vase that might break, then she would only push Haley away. And that was the last thing she wanted to do. So she did the only that she could think of doing, play along. As much as it would hurt her to hear the story, if it would make Haley feel even the slightest bit better, she would do it instantly.  
  
"You're right," Brooke began carefully, eyeing Haley's movements carefully. She didn't know how Haley might react; emotions were running really high right now. "I shouldn't walk around this forever." She moved closer to Haley on the couch. "Tell me what happened."  
  
"I should go," Peyton interrupt before Haley had a chance to say anything. As curious as she was to find out what was going on, she wasn't going to intrude on such a personal moment. Brooke and Haley both torn their gaze off each other and turned to her, both forgetting that she was even in the room.  
  
"Okay," Brooke answered, looking at her for a moment. She tried to place the emotion she could see on Peyton's face, but couldn't pin in down. It was almost a mix of confusion and sympathy. Brooke didn't blame her. "Thanks for your help."  
  
"No problem," Peyton responded, looking from Brooke to Haley. She smiled sadly at her, finding it hard to look at her beat up face. She snapped out of her daze when she realized that she had been staring. "It was nice meeting you."  
  
"You too," Haley replied in the nicest tone she could muster. She wasn't mad at Peyton; she didn't really feel any emotion towards the girl yet. She guessed her liked her, as a first impression she seemed like a nice enough girl, but she would have to wait to make her decision.  
  
"I'll tell Luke not to call," Peyton told Brooke as she started to back out of the room. Yes, she was going back to the Café. She knew that everyone there would be waiting for an explanation, an explanation she wasn't going to be able to give.  
  
"Tell him I'll call when I'm ready." Peyton nodded her head and threw a smile once more in Haley's direction before disappearing behind the wall. The second that Peyton was out of the room, Brooke turned to Haley, her eyes drilling a hole into her sister.  
  
Haley caught the glint in Brooke's eyes, and was starting to regret her little outburst. Not only did a complete stranger know her deepest dark secret, but also now her sister was going to torture her with making her retell it. Haley wished she could blame this all on Brooke, but she knew that it was no one's fault but her own.  
  
"Brooke..."  
  
"No," Brooke cut her off, holding up her hands. "You wanted me to stop acting like I'm not dying inside over this, so now it's your turn. If you want to talk about it so much, tell me."  
  
There wasn't a bone in Brooke's body that didn't hurt over this. The one thing that can hurt you more then being in pain yourself, is seeing the person you love more than anything in pain. Brooke couldn't stand to see Haley in any form of pain, and she was pissed off that Haley would think other wise. How could Haley think that she was the only one that this hurt?  
  
"This isn't how it was supposed to go...."  
  
"Come on, Hales," Brooke urged sarcastically. "Give me every gory detail. That's what sisters are for, right?" Haley looked at her like she was insane. "That's what normal sisters do, isn't it, gossip about boys?"  
  
"Brooke, stop it."  
  
"So tell me," Brooke began, totally not thinking about anything she was saying. If she was thinking at all, there was no way that her brain would have let her say what she was about to say. "Was that your first time?"  
  
"God damn it, Brooke!" Haley exclaimed, completely shocked that her sister actually just said that. She jumped off the couch and glared down at the other brunette. Brooke's brain finally caught up with her mouth and she realized what she had just said. Her eyes widened and she slowly brought a hand to cover her mouth encase any other smart-ass remarks decided to come out.  
  
"Oh, God," Brooke whispered, disgusted with herself. When they went into junior high they had made a pact to remain virgins until they were married. Needless to say that Brooke did not follow through on that one, but Haley did. She had always felt that her virginity was the most precious gift that she could give; after all you can only give it once. And she wanted to be able to give that to the man she loved, the man she was going to spent the rest of her life with, her husband. "Baby, I..."  
  
"I can't believe you just said that." Of all the people in the world, she expected Brooke to understand. This was hard for her on so many levels. How many people can say that their first time was with the man that raped them, the man she once called daddy?  
  
"I didn't mean to," Brooke tried to assure her. "I didn't mean it, baby, I swear. You know how my foot likes to live in my mouth." Haley shook her head and turned her back to her. She knew that Broke didn't mean it, she couldn't have. It just killed her to hear what she was thinking.

--**There are some things that time cannot mend; some hurts that go too deep, that have taken hold.--**  
  
"I know, Tigger, I just..." she trailed off, letting a sob escape her lips. Brooke stood up and walked up behind her. She laid a hand on Haley's shoulder and she turned around. "I don't know how to do this, any of it."  
  
"That's okay, baby." Haley nodded her head, fighting back the tears that were already spilling down her cheeks. "No one expects you to understand this. What happened to you wasn't your fault, okay?"  
  
"In my head I know that, it's just..." Brooke wouldn't let her finish; she quickly brought her into a hug when she saw the tears. Haley welcomed the comfort; feeling like it was the only thing that would be able to calm her down. They stayed on each other's arms for a few minutes, before Haley pulled back.  
  
"What?" Brooke asked, laying her hands on Haley's cheeks as she brushed the tears away with the pads of her thumb. Haley moved her eyes to the ground of a second before meeting Brooke's concerned gaze. She sniffled back a sob.  
  
"Do you remember the first time we saw Titanic?" Haley asked out of nowhere. It took Brooke a second to process what she asked before she nodded her head.  
  
"Of course," Brooke answered, smiling slightly at the memory. "I remember we begged mom to let us see it, but she made us go see Toy Story instead. Then grandma snuck us in to go see it with her."  
  
"She was so mad when she found out about that love scene," Haley remembered, forgetting for a moment what her orginal point was. Both of them laughed a little at the good times back when everything was so simple. The laughter stopped almost as quickly as it started and they were left in silence again.  
  
"Where are you going with this?"  
  
"I remember when we got home, we ran up to our room and the only thing we could talk about was that love scene."  
  
"It was hot," Brooke admitted. She was starting to see where Haley was going with this so she thought she'd save her some of the trouble. "We wanted out first times to be just like that, with all that passion and love. We were going to wait for our Jacks to come and sweep us off our feet."  
  
"Your first time was with your Jack," Haley concluded, finally getting to her point. Brooke's eyes darkened, suddenly feeling even guiltier about this whole situation. Not only did she leave her sister alone with that jackass for two years, she was off playing house with her Romeo while her sister was fighting for her life. "I can't say the same for mine."  
  
"Hales, you can't think of it that way," Brooke tried, wiping away another tear that had found it's way down her face. Haley shook her head a little, trying to make up her mind. Everything was just so jumbled in her head; she didn't know what to think anymore.  
  
"I know that the way dad's treated me over the past two years is worse than any human being deserves," Haley began. She glanced at the ground before looking up at Brooke with pleading eyes. "And what he did to me tonight is the most horrible thing you could possibly to do another person..." Haley had to catch her breath. It was becoming hard to breath as she tried to choke back her tears. "But he's done so much more to me than he even realizes."  
  
"Everything's going to be okay, Haley," Brooke told her. If Haley had been paying attention to anything Brooke was saying, she would have noticed that Brooke called her by her first name, when it was usually 'Hales' or 'baby'. Brooke had gotten into the habit of calling Haley 'baby' when she moved to Tree Hill. She didn't know why, but it just seemed like such a loving name and with her gone, love was the thing that Haley needed the most of. If Brooke was calling her Haley then she wanted to be taken seriously.  
  
"I really don't see how it can be," Haley whispered. If there was one thing that Haley wanted, it was for everything to be okay again. But in her heart, she knew that it would never be okay. Eventually, there was a chance that she could be happy again, but this will always stay with her. Forever. "How am I supposed to be with someone when all I will be able to think about is daddy forcing himself into me?"  
  
"Baby, I..."  
  
"How can I ever be able to trust another person after what's happened to me?" Haley reached up and ran a shaky hand through her hair. Theses were the questions that had been running through her head since her father left her room.  
  
"With time you'll be able to," Brooke answered. She honestly had to agree with everything her sister was saying, she couldn't see how things could ever work out for her, but there was no way she was going to tell Haley that. "Eventually, you'll be okay. I'll help you, my friends will help you."  
  
"That's the thing, Tigger," Haley exclaimed, pointing her finger at her. "Just the thought of being around anyone that isn't you is enough to make me want to crawl into a hole and cry." She had to take a few moments to get her emotions in check. "How do I make it better?"  
  
"It just takes time," was the only answer Brooke could give her. Haley nodded her head, knowing that was what Brooke was going to say. That was really the only answer that anyone could say.  
  
"But what if they're wrong?" Haley asked. Brooke's heart contracted at the look in Haley's eyes. People always say that the eyes are the windows to a person's soul, and that was certainly the case for Haley. And right now, her soul was broken. "What if time doesn't heal all wounds? What if I can't be fixed?"  
  
The lie was right on the tip of Brooke's tongue, all she had to do was say it. But there was something in Haley's eyes that was telling her that she needed the truth. For once in her life, she wanted the God's honest truth. Nothing sugarcoated, nothing fake, something real. After everything that Brooke didn't do over the past two years, she at least owed her that.  
  
"I don't know." Haley nodded, silently thanking her for not lying to her. She won't have believed her anyway, but she was glad that she had the decency to be straight with her for once. Brooke opened her arms and Haley stepped into them. When Brooke's arms wrapped around her, she could convince herself for a second that everything could be okay.  
  
Peyton wiped away the tears that had fallen down her cheeks and closed her eyes. She didn't want to eavesdrop she really didn't, but there was just something inside of her that made her stay. Now, she wished she could erase all the heartbreaking things she had just heard.  
  
She waited a moment to make sure that Brooke and Haley were busy, before pushing herself up off the ground and to her feet. She peeked her head around the corner to see the sisters huddled together in the middle of the living room and took a breath in an attempt to stop the fresh batch of tears from coming.  
  
With one last look, Peyton quietly let herself out of the James house and outside. She had never been more thankful to have a breath of fresh air. Standing on the porch of a moment, she thought about everything she just heard when a stray thought came to her mind. Nathan.  
  
She had seen him eyeing Haley in the Café and she could tell that he had his sights set on her. Nathan was a good friend, but a horrible boyfriend. He acted like he was in love with you for about two weeks until he got bored of you and dumped your ass, leaving you devastated.  
  
Haley didn't need that right now. In fact, that just might kill her. Peyton couldn't let that happen. She wasn't exactly Haley's friend, but she was a human being and there was no way she could let someone get hurt like that. Not when they were already hurt enough.  
  
Peyton quickly got into her car and took off in the direction of the Café.  
  
-OTH-  
  
That's it. I know that there wasn't much Naley, okay, none at all really. But I promise that the next chapter will be full of Nathan goodness, so you need not worry. Please, tell me what you think, I need to know. Thanks.


	6. Choose Love or Sympathy

Author's Note: Hey, all. Thanks again for all the awesome reviews. Please keep them coming, I can't get enough of them. I hope you enjoy this chapter. It was harder for me to write since it's mostly focused on Nathan and I'm not exactly his biggest fan. But don't worry, this won't be like all my other stories, he won't be the bad guy, I think Mr. James has that covered. Enjoy.  
  
-OTH-

**--Yet, taught by time, my heart has learned to glow for other's good, and melt at other's woe.--**

Peyton Sawyer's mother always told her it was rude to listen in on other people's conversations. Anna had caught her daughter listening on the other line to a phone call she was having with her husband and immediately berated her for doing it. She had told Peyton that you should never listen in because you might not like what you hear.  
  
Right about now, as she drove down the deserted streets of Tree Hill in the direction of Karen's Café, Peyton didn't think truer words had ever been spoken. She was never really the type to eavesdrop, she hated it when people did it to her, but there had just been something inside her that told her she should stay, that something important was going to be said that she needed to hear.  
  
Even though some very important stuff had been said, she didn't real right hearing it. When Brooke and Haley were talking about was something so special, so personal that nobody should have been able to hear it, but yet she did. And at this moment, if she could, Peyton would erase everything she had heard from her brain.  
  
The things that Haley had said, about what their father did to her, Peyton couldn't believe her ears. She didn't understand what kind of person could possibly do that to their daughter, especially a daughter that seems as nice as Haley did. The knowledge that there were actual people out there that did that sort of thing, made Peyton want to lock herself in her house and never come back out.  
  
Peyton's mother had died when she was eight, in a car accident. Anna Sawyer was on her way to pick her daughter up at school when she ran a red light and died in a brutal crash. Peyton didn't really remember everything that went on, just images of a lot of people coming in and out of her house, hugging her and her father a lot. That first week had been the hardest on her father, with the planning and funeral and everything else that went along with the death of a loved one.  
  
But for Peyton, the hardest was the next week, when she finally went back to school. Everyone was so nice to her, even Lindsay Taylor the girl that used to tease Peyton relentlessly because of her curly hair. Everyone would get quite as soon as she walked into the room and they would stare at her like she had two heads. People were always extra nice to her, going out of their way to make sure that she was comfortable.  
  
When she asked her dad about it, he had called it sympathy. They all felt sorry for her, having to lose her mother at such a young age. Peyton hated it; she wished that things would just go back to normal. She wished that Lindsay would got back to trying to push her in the mud, she wished Nathan Scott would got back to pretending that she didn't exist and she wished that her mother was alive.  
  
She wasn't anything special, she was still the same girl she had been the week before. The only difference being that she didn't have a mom anymore. She wasn't going to break and she wished people would stop treating her like she would. It was then, the day that Nathan had asked her to go to Lindsay's roller skating party, that she swore she was never going to feel sorry for another person.  
  
She never wanted to make someone feel the way she felt. She felt useless and like she was causing people trouble. It made her feel fake and lonely. She hated it. And until this day, this very hour, she had kept that promise. She had never treated anybody differently when they were hurt or upset. Sure, she was a little nicer to them, she didn't want to be known as the class bitch, but she never did anything to make someone feel the way she felt when her mom died.  
  
As she sat there on the floor of Brooke's house, for the first time she felt sorry for someone. As she listened to all the things that Haley had to deal with, all the things that were wrong with Haley's life, she couldn't help but feel an overflow of sympathy for the poor girl. She tried to tell herself that it wasn't a bad thing, it was natural to feel this way over something as tragic as what happened to Haley, but she knew that she was only going to piss Haley off further if she showed it.  
  
So in a form of repayment sort of, Peyton was going back to the Café to report back to the gang. She wasn't going to tell them about everything she knew, that was up to Brooke and Haley to tell them, but she was going to tell them what was discussed in her presence, when they knew she was there. She figured that was a safe bet.  
  
She rounded the corner and spotted her destination, the Café. She looked inside to find it pretty much as she left it. The older couple had gone and the gang was in the same place as they were before. She knew they would be, they were a nosey bunch of teens. She parked her car in the same place it had been in before and turned it off. She grabbed her coat and stepped out, closing the door.  
  
The bell over the door jingled as she walked in like it always did when someone entered the building. At the sound of the bell, five heads wiped around and looked at her. She looked back at them strangely for a moment before walking over to the booth. She slipped into the seat Brooke had occupied earlier, across from her boyfriend.  
  
"Hey," she greeted them all in an uneasy tone. She was a pretty girl and a very popular girl so she was used to the staring, but at the intense level it was at now, she was starting to get uncomfortable.  
  
"That's all you have to say?" Nathan snapped from his spot against the wall. It was him, Luke and Peyton - respectively on one side, with Jake, Theresa and Tim on the other. Peyton looked past Luke at Nathan and had to smile at the anxiousness in his voice. He was definitely worried.  
  
"Well, I thought that was pretty good, greeting wise," she answered back, trying to play it cool. Since she couldn't tell them about everything that she knew, she had to try and act as anti-dramatic as possible. The others were not assumed. They continued to drill a hole in her. "What?"  
  
"Who was that?"  
  
"Who was what?" she asked, kind of enjoying the torture she was putting her friends through. She couldn't blame them for being curious though; she knew that if she hadn't went with them then she would be dying to know as well.  
  
"That girl that came in," Theresa clarified for the entire group. Peyton looked up at her and could tell that Theresa knew she was hiding something. When she had lost her mom, Theresa was the first person that actually treated like she was a normal kid. She didn't care that Peyton's mom died; she just genuinely wanted to play Barbies with her. Of course, Peyton didn't want to play Barbies, she wanted to draw and listen to music, but ever since then, they had sort of been best friends.  
  
"Oh, you mean Haley?" She tried to think of what she was allowed to tell them and what she should keep secret. She knew they were going to ask who she was and telling them that she was Brooke's twin sister didn't seem like it would be any problem. But when they asked what happened to her, she wasn't so sure what to say.  
  
"Was she the girl that came stumbling in here like she was crazy?" Tim asked, getting quite annoyed with Peyton at the moment. He was not the most patient person in the world; hell he was probably the least patient person at that table.  
  
"Ignoring that very rude description," Peyton began as she glared at Tim from across the booth. "Yes, that was Haley." She glanced over at Nathan to see if she could tell what he was thinking, but his face was unreadable.  
  
Nathan rolled the name around in his head, trying to decide whether he liked it or not. Haley. Ha-ley. Haa-ley. Haley. He liked it. It had a nice ring to it. And he couldn't help but notice that it seemed to fit perfectly with his name. Nathan and Haley. Yeah, he defiantly liked the sound of that. He was brought out of his thoughts by the voice of his brother.  
  
"How does Brooke know her?" he asked. The entire time that the girls had been gone he had been trying to figure out who it was. He thought back over all the stories that Brooke had ever told him and he couldn't ever remember her mentioning someone like that girl. Haley, he now knew.  
  
"Yeah," Tim added in, curious about that too. He ran the possibilities through his mind and his eyes lit up at the last one. "Are they like, lesbians or something?" Peyton sent Theresa a glance. Knowing exactly what she meant by it, Theresa smacked Tim in the back of the head.  
  
"Shut up, Tim," she snapped, bringing her hand back to rest on the table. By the way they acted, you never would have guessed that they had been going out of the past year and a half. Tim's mouth hung open and he brought a hand to the back of his head.  
  
"Ow," he exclaimed. Talk about a delayed reaction. After looking at all the guys for help and finding none, he decided on pouting as his best bet. Everyone shook their heads, used to his childish behavior and turned back to Peyton.  
  
"What?" She hadn't been paying much attention after Tim's comment and was lost in her thoughts about the night. She could feel all the eyes on her and looked up to find that everyone was staring at her again.  
  
"Who was she?" Jake asked again. He was looking in her eyes, trying to tell if she was okay. She was acting kind of weird and Jake knew that it had to have something to do with the mystery girl.  
  
"I already told you," Peyton sighed, finding the chip in her nail polish suddenly very interesting. "Her name's Haley." Nathan had had enough. He hated when she started beating around the bush. Why couldn't people ever just answer a question with a straight answer?  
  
"How does Brooke know her?" Nathan snapped, getting sick of this. Peyton jumped at the volume in his voice and rolled her eyes. Most girls found it either scary or attractive, but Peyton was used to it and it mostly just annoyed her.  
  
"Oh," she said as if just getting it. She loved playing the dumb blonde card. It drove people crazy and it was fun. "They're sisters."  
  
"Haley's Brooke's sister?" Theresa asked. Always a beat behind.  
  
"Yeah." This new information seemed to surprise the gang, but Peyton understood that, she was surprised when she found how too. "According to Brooke, they're twins."  
  
Nathan's face fell. Brooke's twin? He cringed at the thought of going out with someone exactly the same as Brooke. He had nothing against Brooke, she was hot and dating his brother so he kind of had to like her, but she wasn't his type. He couldn't imagine being with someone that...perky or wild. He liked them calm and low key, that's why he had been attracted to Peyton all those years ago.  
  
"Oh, God," Jake sighed, holding his head in his hands. "Two Brookes? I don't think I can handle that." Peyton smiled weakly at him, knowing he was only joking around. Brooke was one of his closest friends and despite what he may say, she knew he loved her.  
  
"Wait," Luke jumped in, after he was done processing the information. He thought he knew Brooke really well, at least better than anyone at this table, and after all the things she had told him about her family, never once did she mention anything about a sister. "Brooke doesn't have a sister."  
  
"Well, apparently she does," Peyton answered, rolling her eyes. That was her first reaction too, but after she really looked at Haley, once she was cleaned up, she could really see the resemblance. "Yeah, she lived with their father."  
  
--**Ideas pull the trigger, but instinct loads the gun.--**  
  
"Father?" Nathan asked. Something about that didn't sit right with him. He remembered back to the way she looked when she first came into the Café. She was all beaten up and her clothes were torn. Someone had definitely hurt her.  
  
Peyton's head immediately wiped around and her eyes locked with his. She had been trying to play it cool when she mentioned their father, and she thought she managed to do a pretty good job at it, but apparently not good enough. She had found it hard to keep the venom out of her voice when she talked about him, but she must have let some slip through because Nathan obviously caught it.   
  
"Yeah," she answered, trying her best to sound cool. "He lives in Charleston or something." Her eyes never left Nathan's as she spoke and she knew that the other people at the table were probably thinking something was wrong. Well, maybe not Tim.  
  
"Oh," was all Nathan said. He didn't need Peyton to say anything else, he could see it in her eyes, and he had all the answers he needed. He could see all the hatred and pain in her eyes and he knew that it was directed at the man. He knew that it would do them no good if they announced it to the whole table so he let it drop for now.  
  
"So, what happened to her?" Theresa asked, not picking up on the strangeness between Peyton and Nathan. Peyton looked around and it appeared that no one had seen it. Peyton's gaze rested on Theresa.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"She was all beat and stuff," she explained, motioning to her face and arms. "And her clothes were all torn." Theresa fingered the material of her shirt as she spoke. "What happened?"  
  
"I, uh, I...don't know." Peyton cursed herself for stuttering. She never, ever stuttered, so it would be a dead giveaway that something was wrong. "They never told me and I didn't think it was my place to ask."  
  
Now, Nathan knew for sure what was going on. He liked to think that he knew Peyton pretty well; they did go out for an entire year and had been friends since they were eight. Maybe he wasn't always the most perceptive guy, but he always paid attention to the important stuff. Like what Peyton's eyes looked like when she was in pain, or the way she played with the sleeve of her shirt when she was nervous. Two things that he saw right now.  
  
"I think I need some air," Nathan said suddenly. Everyone looked over at him in confusion. The sudden change in subject threw them off. "Yeah, I'm just gonna go for a walk of something." He got up; jumping over the back of the booth so Lucas and Peyton wouldn't have to get out.  
  
"Nathan..." Peyton tried, knowing what he was going to do. Nathan obviously knew what was going on and he seemed to have a crush on Haley. There was only one place he could be going.  
  
"I'll see you later guys," he called over his shoulder, completely ignoring the call Peyton sent at him. He pushed the door open and stepped into the fresh air. He looked back and was surprised that Peyton hadn't come after him. Shrugging it off, he shoved his hands into his pockets and started walking in the direction of Brooke's house.  
  
He didn't know how he knew it, but there was definitely something wrong with Haley. He could tell by the way Peyton talked that Haley and Brooke's father had something to do with it. And there was that strange feeling again, the one that told him he would be needed soon. There was just something about the situation that told him that he could help. He didn't know how yet, but in some way, he would play an important role in helping Haley.  
  
He was surprised to look up and find that he was on Brooke's front steps, getting ready to knock on the door. He had been so lost in thought on the whole way that he didn't even notice that he was there. It's like his feet were moving on their own. Without hesitation, he brought his hand up and knocked on the door. He heard voices inside and a few moments later, Brooke answered the door with a tear strained face.  
  
"Nathan?" she asked, completely shocked to see him. As much as the thought scared her to death, she actually expected to find her father on the other side of the door.  
  
"Hey."  
  
"What are you doing here?" She had never really been the best of friends with him. Out of the whole group, he was probably the person she was least close to. He looked past her, trying to see if he could spot Haley.  
  
"I just came to see if everything was alright," he replied, finding it hard to look at Brooke's sad face. It was clear that Brooke had just spent the last while crying and she was more than likely not doing it alone.  
  
"That was nice of you," she smiled sadly at him. She was trying to decide whether he was telling the truth or not. As always, his face was unreadable. She hated people like that, ones that could hide their feelings. It kind of scared her really. Not knowing what people were thinking really creeped her out. "But really, everything's fine."  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked softly. It was clear that everything wasn't fine. She nodded her head. "Cause it looks like you've been crying." Brooke brought a hand to her face, wiping at her cheeks. She hated it when people saw her cry.  
  
"I'm just happy that Haley's here, that's all," she told him. He looked at her doubtfully and she knew he didn't believe a word she was saying. She really needed to work on that story for the next person that came by. Nathan could tell that Brooke wasn't going to tell him so he would have to make the first move.  
  
"Do you mind if I come in?" he asked, taking a step forward. He really needed to see Haley again; just thinking about her was driving him insane. Brooke stayed in her spot, holding the door firmly in her hand.  
  
"Yeah, actually, I do." Brooke felt really bad for turning him away as she saw the look of disappointment cross his face, but she couldn't let him inside. Haley wasn't ready to see people yet. "I'm sorry, now's really not a good time."  
  
"Oh," Nathan sighed, stopping in his tracks. He backed up and looked down at his feet for a second before looking back up. "Okay." Brooke gave him an apologetic look. "I'll just go then." Brooke nodded. "Tell your sister I said hi."  
  
Brooke didn't have a chance to reply as she watched his retreating back walk down her driveway. She could see him shaking his head and mumbling something under his breath, but she couldn't hear what he was saying. Brooke frowned and stepped back, closing the door slowly and making her way back into the living room. When she entered, she found Haley sitting back down on the couch, sending her a watery smile.  
  
"Who was at the door?" she asked, using one of tissues that Brooke had given her to wipe her eyes. Brooke smiled and walked over to the couch, plopping down beside her sister. As soon as she sat down, Haley leaned her head on her shoulder.  
  
"Luke's brother, Nathan." Haley laughed and eyed Brooke out of the corner of her eye.  
  
"My supposed soul mate?" she joked. Brooke laughed and nodded, dropping a kiss on Haley's head. She was glad to be talking about something other than their father. And if that topic happened to be Nathan Scott, than so be it.  
  
"Yeah, that was him."  
  
"He sounded pretty hot," Haley said, just trying to make conversation. She knew that you can't really tell what a person looked like by the sound of their voice, but there was just something about his that sent a shiver up her spine, but in a good way. She knew that he was at the Café earlier and wished that she had looked up when she had come in, but she was in too much pain and was just so happy to finally be there that she hadn't bothered. "When can I meet him?"  
  
"When you're ready," Brooke answered. She knew that Nathan and Haley would hit it off, they were the perfect match, but Brooke wasn't willing to stake Haley's sanity on that. In the state that Haley was in, she couldn't afford to be hurt right now. If one more thing went wrong in her life, Haley was sure to break.  
  
-OTH-  
  
All done. So, what do you guys think? Please tell me and I'll update sooner. Thanks for reading. Bye.


	7. Sorry My Conscience Called In Sick Again

Author's Note: Hey, all. Thanks to all of you that replied to the last chapter. Please keep them coming. I'm not sure how this chapter will turn out, but I hope you enjoy it.  
  
-OTH-

--**The mildest, drowsiest sister has been known to turn tiger if her sibling is in trouble.--**

Have you ever had one of those nights that seem to go on forever? That's what things felt like for both James sisters. Neither of them could have been able to know what this night was going to hold for them. Both their lives took a giant step forward tonight. And they brought everyone else with them.  
  
For Haley, she had finally taken a stand. Jimmy had over stepped his bounds tonight, and she wasn't going to take it anymore. She had made a promise to both Brooke and to herself that she would never let her father get away with doing something like that. As soon as her father barged into her tonight, Haley knew that she was out of there. The only thing that could save her now was her sister, which is why she came here.  
  
For Brooke, she had mixed emotions going through her. On the one side, she obviously was being torn apart over the horrible things that had just happened to her sister, but on the other side, she was so overjoyed that her sister was there with her now. It was the latter that was causing Brooke to hate herself. How could she possible be happy about something like this?  
  
Deciding that it was the best thing for both of them, Brooke suggested that they go to bed. Haley agreed immediately, having been falling asleep since they had arrived at the house. Brooke quickly cleared all the stuff she had used to clean Haley up and brought it into the kitchen.  
  
When she came back out, Haley was waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs. Brooke had to take a moment to look at Haley, wanting to memorize what she looked like. She had done this earlier, when her sister was still in her torn and dirty clothes. She wanted to remember what Haley looked like tonight she would never forget what a horrible sister she had been. She promised herself that she was never going to let her sister get hurt like that again.  
  
"What?" she asked, noticing that Brooke was staring at her. She looked down at the clothes she was wearing to make sure that she didn't have anything on them. She was actually afraid that her blood was going to start seeping through any second. She kept getting these flashes like they do in horror movies, and every time she thought about it, it send a shiver up her spin.  
  
"Nothing," Brooke answered quickly. She snapped out of her daze and sent Haley a reassuring smile. "Just looking at you, that's all." Haley looked at her like she had gone crazy. "My little Haley sure did grown up. You look so different then the last time I saw you."  
  
"You do too," Haley pointed out, clearly indicating the top that was barely there. Brooke looked confused for a second before looking down and realizing what Haley was talking about. She laughed lightly and brought a hand up to cover her chest. "Someone was taking their vitamins."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Brooke chuckled. "It was so weird, it's like I just woke up one morning and I couldn't see my feet." Haley shook her head and laughed. She regretted it the moment she did, as a shooting pain shot through her stomach. Brooke caught the pained look cross Haley's face and she was at her side in an instant.  
  
"What? What's wrong?" She had never moved so fast in her life. Ever since they had arrived back at the house, Brooke had been waiting for Haley to break. Brooke kept asking Haley if she was in any pain, but Haley kept saying she was fine. Brooke knew she was lying, Haley looked horrible and there was no way that she wasn't in any pain.  
  
"Just remind me not to laugh," Haley told her, holding her stomach. She flinched when she felt the lump in her abdomen. Once again, Brooke saw the look on her sister's face and jumped at it immediately.  
  
"Okay, someone is wrong," she concluded. She ignored the pleading looks Haley was giving her to leave it alone and reached over. She pushed Haley's hand away and lay her own on Haley's stomach. Her eyes widen when she felt the bone sticking into Haley skin.  
  
"It's nothing, Tigger," Haley tried to convince her. She knew what was wrong, even Brooke knew what was wrong. She didn't want to go to the hospital, she couldn't. "It's happened before, it'll hurt for a few days, probably bruise up real nice, but I'll be okay."  
  
"Baby, you have at least two broken ribs," Brooke scolded her. She couldn't believe that Haley was trying to hide it. She just sat there and told her that everything was fine, when it obviously wasn't. "I'd hardly call that fine."  
  
"So it hurts a little," Haley sighed, laying her hand over top Brooke's that was still resting on her stomach. "Please, just leave it alone." Brooke shook her head. She took a hold of Haley's hand and started leading her to the door. Haley came to a halt after only two steps. "Brooke, no."  
  
"Haley, you have broken ribs, okay," Brooke snapped. She tightened her hold on Haley's waist and brought her forward. "I have to get you to the hospital so they can look at them. I'm not going to let you leave them alone. That can't be safe."  
  
"Like I said before, it'll heal eventually." She tried to squirm out of Brooke's arms, but it hurt too much to move like that. She used her last resort. "We can't go to the hospital. We're underage, they can't admit us unless we have an adult. So, unless you want them to call daddy to come down, then we're screwed."  
  
"First of all," Brooke began, swallowing the rage that formed in the pit of her stomach as she heard her sister say daddy. "I don't want you to ever say his name again, you understand me? He is dead to the both of us, got it?" Haley was surprised by the reaction she got out of her sister, but she had to smile slightly at it. Nothing made her feel warmer inside then when her sister got all protective of her like that.  
  
"Calm down, Tigger," Haley smirked. She could tell by the look on her face, that she was fighting the urge to curse their father. Brooke shot her a look. "Okay, I promise I'll never bring him up again unless I'm serious."  
  
"Thank you," Brooke whispered, still walking Haley through the house to the door. She didn't care what Haley said or what the doctor said, Haley was getting her ribs looked at and that was final. There was no way she was letting Haley be in any more pain then she needed to be.  
  
"So, with what I said before, why are we still going to the hospital?"  
  
"Don't sweat it," Brooke replied, finally making it to the door. She left Haley's side momentarily to grab two jackets from the closet before returning. She slipped on her leather one and helped Haley into the baggier on. "We need an adult, I'll get us one no problem."  
  
"Are you sure about this?" Haley asked, as she walked out the door with Brooke. Her sister locked the door and they made their way to the VW Bug waiting for them in the driveway. She wasn't sure how Brooke managed to get herself a car; cause by the looks of it, the house wasn't that big. She didn't know how her mom could afford it.  
  
"Not really," Brooke answered with a shrug. She walked with Haley over to the passenger side and opened the door for her, helping her inside. Once she was in, Haley looked up at her in confusion. "But I'm not letting you suffer through any kind of pain if it can be helped, so deal with it." She shut the door, walked over to her own side of the car and got in.  
  
The ride was made in relative silence, the music from the radio being the only sound in the car. Haley still wasn't sure what the plan was. She had done this once, went to the hospital after a particularly brutal beating and the doctors wouldn't admit her. They called her father down to ask permission and he declined. When she got home, it was not pretty.  
  
She looked over and watched as Brooke concentrated on the road in front of her. She could tell by the look on her face that she was in deep thought. In times like these, she learned it was best to just leave Brooke alone and let her figure out whatever it was that was bothering her.  
  
They finally arrived at the hospital a few minutes later. Brooke had already called the person she was wanted to come down there and told her to get down to the hospital. Brooke helped Haley out of the car and they made their way into the building. As soon as they entered, they could a couple of strange looks. Brooke didn't blame them though, Haley did look pretty beat up, and she would probably be staring too. She gave them all dirty looks before ignoring them and walking over to the nurse's station.  
  
"Oh, dear," the nurse exclaimed when she saw Haley's beat up face. She dropped her pencil and gave them her full attention. "What can I do for you ladies?" By this point, all the walking and moving was taking its toll on Haley's exhausted body and she was leaning very heavily on Brooke.  
  
"We need someone to look at her ribs," Brooke answered, repositioning herself so she had a better hold on Haley's waist. She was just happy that Haley was still conscious. She knew that Haley needed to get some sleep before she completely passed out. "I think she has a few broken ones."  
  
"What happened to her?" she asked, looking Haley over. She noticed the cut on her forehead and knew that would need stitches. By the looks of all the bruises on her face, the woman concluded that Haley had been attacked or beat up.  
  
"Please, just look at her ribs." Sensing that she wasn't going to get any answers out of Brooke, the nurse turned her attention to the sleepy Haley on Brooke shoulder.  
  
"Sweetie, who did this to you?" she asked in a soft voice. If Haley had heard a word she said, she didn't show it. Brooke could tell by the way she was leaning more on her that Haley wasn't going to be able to stay upright much longer.  
  
"Look," she snapped as she slammed her fist onto the counter. "What happened to my sister is none of your god damned business." The nurse immediately backed away, the fear clearly written on her face. "I just need you to get someone to look at her ribs not stand here and play twenty one questions."  
  
"Brooke?" a voice called from behind. Brooke glared at the nurse for another moment before turning around to see Karen running up to them. She finally reached them. Brooke could tell by the look on her face that she was terrified.  
  
"Thank God, Karen," she sighed, happy that someone else can talk to this woman. She couldn't handle anymore and she was hoping that since Karen was an adult she wouldn't argue with her. "Can you please talk to her?"  
  
"Brooke, sweetie, what's going on?" Her eyes traveled to the beat up young woman that was fading fast on Brooke's side. She recognized her as the girl that burst into her Café earlier. She had asked Luke about it when they had got home, but he just mumbled something under his breath and went to bed.  
  
"Just get a doctor here and I'll explain everything." Karen nodded and started to talk to the nurse.  
  
Everything went by in a rush. Before she knew what was going on, Haley was being ripped from her grip by some orderlies and put on a stretcher. The sight of her sister on a stretcher was enough to make Brooke break down. As she watched the doctors roll Haley away, Brooke couldn't help but notice how small and weak she looked. She closed her eyes and plopped down in the chair beside Karen.  
  
"God, Karen," she cried, burying her head in her hands. "I don't know what I'll do if she's not okay." Karen watched helplessly as her son's girlfriend cried. She still wasn't sure what was going on or who that girl was, but she knew that Brooke obviously cared very much for her.  
  
"Everything will be okay, Brooke." Karen put a hand on her back and rubbed it in circles. She used to do this to Luke when he was having trouble falling asleep. She let Brooke get it all out before questioning her. Brooke let out a breath and leaned back in her chair to explain everything.  
  
"So, Haley's my twin sister and..."  
  
The girls had spent most of the night at the hospital. Brooke explained everything that happened to Karen while Haley was in getting fixed. An hour later, the doctor had come back out and told them that Haley had three broken ribs and a sprained wrist. He also asked Brooke what happened, but Brooke said she didn't know.  
  
The doctor knew she was lying, but didn't press the matter. He just gave Brooke some pills for Haley to take and sent them on their way. Karen had to help Brooke get Haley up to her room since she was pretty out of it, before saying goodbye and leaving them alone. As soon as Brooke slipped into bed beside Haley, she was sound asleep.

--**Most of the things we decide are not what we know to be the best. We say yes, merely because we are driven into a corner and must say something.--**

Brooke was the first one awake. She looked over at the clock and was more than a little surprised to find that it was already two in the afternoon. She was even more surprised that Luke or Peyton hadn't come by looking for her. She looked over at Haley's sleeping form. She figured that she would probably stay asleep for the rest of the day because of what they gave her at the hospital. She reached over and kissed Haley on the forehead before slipping out of bed and getting ready for the rest of the day.  
  
A half an hour later she was sitting at the kitchen table, eating her breakfast/lunch. She contemplated picking up the phone and calling Luke, but she wasn't ready to face him yet. She wasn't ready to face anyone yet. She had lied to all of them and she was afraid they'd be mad.  
  
Before she could give it anymore thought, the phone began to ring. She normally would have just left it, but she didn't want it to wake Haley up, so she sighed and reached back to grab it.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Brooke, darling, how are you?" Brooke's stomach tightened when she heard her mother's voice ring through the phone. God, how she hated her mother. She had begged and pleaded with her to fight the decision to let Haley stay with Jimmy. Her mother always told her that Haley was fine, but Brooke knew that her mother knew better than that. Grace just wanted to get the hell away from Jimmy as quickly as possible.  
  
"I'm fine," she bit back. Grace knew that her daughter wasn't her biggest fan, but she also thought that she was overreacting. She thought that Brooke would eventually forget about Haley and move on with her life. "Where are you this week?"  
  
"Actually, I'm just in the next town over," Grace informed her. Brooke could tell by the sound of her voice that she wanted something. Then again, her mother only called when she wanted something. "Me and Tony are just staying at this wonderful hotel."  
  
"That's fantastic," Brooke sighed. She just wished her mother would get this over with and ask her. That way she could say no and say goodbye. "What do you want, mother?"  
  
"Well, Lorraine has this big date set up for tonight," she began. Tony was Grace's boyfriend. They had been going out for a year and Lorraine was his daughter. Brooke didn't really think much of Tony; he was just a guy that was seeing her mother. He seemed pretty dull, but he was certainly better than her father. Lorraine on the other hand, she didn't like. She always tried to bond with Brooke, something that Brooke didn't want to do. She already had a sister, the best one she could ask for, and she wasn't looking for another one.  
  
"What does that have to do with me?"  
  
"Tony and I are going out for a night on the town with some friends," she explained. "And Lorraine needs some help getting ready. Tony suggested that I ask you."  
  
"I can't, mom," Brooke sighed. She knew that her mother liked Lorraine, probably better than she liked Brooke, but that was perfectly fine with her. She actually thinks she likes Tony better than her mother. "I'm busy."  
  
"You will help her," Grace stated. She just didn't get it. "She is like your sister."  
  
"No, I have a sister," Brooke snapped. How dare she even think that? Lorraine will never be her sister, stepsister or not. "Or have you forgotten about the daughter you left with her abusive father?"  
  
"That is enough, Brooke," her mother sighed. She was used to her daughter's dramatics. She honestly didn't think that Jimmy hurt Haley. She decided Brooke was just lashing out and making up stories because she missed her sister. "Now, are you coming down?"  
  
"No, I have plans."  
  
"Either you come down here or I'll come there and get you." Brooke froze. She knew that if her mother came home and found Haley there, she would call their father immediately. "Take your pick."  
  
"Fine," she mumbled. "Where are you?" She got the information and directions from her mother before hanging up. "Great, this is just great." Now what was she supposed to do?  
  
Even if she thought that Haley was going to be passed out all day, she couldn't leave her alone. One, their father might somehow find out were they were, and two, she didn't want Haley to wake up alone in a strange house. She ran through her options in her head. Sighing, she picked the phone up again and dialed her friend's number.  
  
_"Hey, you've reached Peyton Sawyer's cell phone. Congratulation, you can remember seven numbers, good for you. Leave a message and if you're important enough, I just might call you back. Bye."  
_  
Beep.  
  
"Damn it," she cursed, slamming the phone back down in the cradle. She didn't bother calling her house; she knew the blonde wouldn't be there. She couldn't call Lucas because she wasn't ready to talk to him yet, Jake was more than likely with Peyton and once again, Tim's an idiot and Theresa's a bitch. That left one person.  
  
Brooke grumbled under her breath as she dialed his number. This was so not how she wanted the day to go.  
  
-OTH-  
  
So, that's all for now. What did you think? I'm assuming you know what's coming up next, right? Well, the more replies, the faster I'll update.


	8. You Make My Head Swim

Author's Note: Hey all. I'm so happy that you guys are all still liking this. Please keep up with the replies, and I'll keep up with the updates. Enjoy.  
  
-OTH-

**--At the innermost core of all loneliness is a deep and powerful yearning for union with one's lost self.** --

Brooke hung up the phone and let the feeling of dread flow over her. She knew that asking him over to watch Haley was a bad idea; she had seen the look in his eyes the night before. She saw the interest in them; the need to see Haley and it scared her. Not because she had feelings for Nathan or anything, she was more than happy with Lucas, it was the fact that Nathan liked Haley that scared her.  
  
Nathan Scott was the screw them, then leave them type of guy. Ah, a true gentleman if there ever was such a thing. Over the past two years that she had known him, Brooke couldn't remember him ever being in a relationship for more than a week. There was just something in him that wouldn't let him stay interested in something for longer than that.  
  
She watched as he went from girl to girl, breaking hearts and not caring in the least. He even dumped a girl who had just lost her mother. There was no end to his evil streak. One of the only redeeming qualities he possessed was the fact that he was a pretty good friend. Whenever he was needed, he would be there. She also had to admit that he was easy on the eyes.  
  
That was the problem. Nathan usually finds a girl that peeks his interest, and then chases after her, the harder the chase; the more exciting it is for him. She saw it in his eyes last night; he's set his sights on Haley. And in the condition she was in right now, the last thing that Haley needed was to get hurt.  
  
The only thing that set her stomach at ease was knowing that Haley would more than likely be knocked out all day so she wouldn't be able to fall pray to Nathan Scott's charms. Shaking off the feeling, she got up from the kitchen table and moved over to the counter, bringing her dirty dishes with her. She set them in the sink and grabbed the note pad that was attached to the fridge.  
  
A few minutes later, the note was done and just in time as there was a soft knock on the door. Throwing the pen back into its container, she pushed off the cool surface of the counter top and stalked over to the front door. Her face turned up into a scowl when she meets the person on the other side.  
  
"Ah, come on, Brooke," Nathan chuckled, finding the expression on her face to be quite amusing. Nothing was funnier than a cheerleader trying to be serious. "Is that any way to greet the guy that could be your future brother-in-law?"  
  
"So, this was clearly a bad idea," Brooke replied, starting to close the door in his face. He laughed and stepped forward, stopping the door before it could completely close.  
  
"It was a joke."  
  
"I don't need you joking about marrying my sister, okay," she stated, glaring at him as she stepped back from the entranceway to let him inside. He shook his head and closed the door behind him. "She is in a really bad place right now and the last thing she needs is an ass like you messing around with her."  
  
"Whoa, whoa," he called, holding up his hands in a surrendering fashion. "That's not what I meant." Normally when someone was looking at him the way Brooke was looking at him, he would find it to be quite uncomfortable, but he knew Brooke, and she was possibly the least scary person in the world.  
  
"Okay, you only become someone's brother-in-law one way," she explained, placing her hands on her hips. She found it to be annoying and frustrating that she wasn't intimating Nathan right now. This always worked on Lucas. "By marrying their sister."  
  
"Or by marrying their brother," Nathan pointed out, flashing her that trademark cocky smirk that she used to find kind of sexy. Now she just wanted to smack him. Realization started to dawn on her, and her shoulders slumped.  
  
"Oh," she sighed. Nothing was more embarrassing that overreacting to something like that. "You were referring to me and Lucas and not"  
  
"Me and Haley," he finished. Although, he thought with a smirk, he certainly wouldn't object to it. All last night he had been thinking about Haley, the broken look in her eyes when she came stumbling into the Café. The anger in Brooke's eyes resurfaced and she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt.  
  
"Come here," she hissed, pulling him into the living room. Once they were in there, she pushed him against the wall.  
  
"And now you're man-handling me," he mused, the confusion completely evident in his voice. He had seen Brooke get a little bitchy when it came to girls flirting with Lucas, but he had never seen her get physical with any of them. He had to admit, she was pretty strong for a girl her size.  
  
"Let me just get one thing clear," she began. Nathan's eyes widened at the sound in her voice, she was not joking around. Okay, now he was a little scared.  
  
"Whatâ€what's that?" He cursed himself for stuttering. He never stuttered, that was a sure sign of fear. And Nathan Scott never showed fear.  
  
"There is no you and Haley," she answered. Brooke had always been protective of her friends when it came to boys, she knew first hand who brutal they could be at times and she didn't want anyone she cared about to get hurt. "There never will a you and Haley."  
  
"Okay, can you just let go of my shirt," he complained, gently prying her fingers one by one from his collar. She finally gave up and let him go. "Thank you. Since you're apparently my keeper, is it okay if I breathe now?"  
  
"I am not in the mood, Nathan," she snapped. She gave him one last dirty look and moved over to the table. She sighed and slumped down in one of the chairs. She was tired of being protective. She just wanted to say what she had to say and leave. The sooner she got there, the faster she could come back to Haley.  
  
"What's up with you, Brooke?" Nathan asked, his voice softening a bit. Brooke James was never one to worry needlessly, so if she was this upset, there was definitely something wrong. He walked over to the table and kneeled down in front of the chair.  
  
"I'm just worried," she answered quietly. She knew that Nathan couldn't hear her properly and raised her head. She looked down at him and sighed. "I'm so worried about her, I don't know what to do with myself."  
  
"If this is about me, I'm not going to do anything"  
  
"It's not just about you," she interrupted him. She looked down at her lap and watched as her fingers traced the hem of her shirt. "I know you can be a real jackass when it comes to girls, but I don't think that even you are evil enough to take advantage of Haley right now."  
  
"Well, it's good to know that you think so highly of me," he teased lightly, hoping to lighten the mood somewhat. Brooke gave him a smile. It was small and sad, but he'd take it. He reached out and grabbed a hold of Brooke's hand, forcing her to stop her nervous movements. "Seriously, Brooke, if it's not about me, then what is it?"  
  
"I'm just so" Brooke trailed off. She searched her brain for the right way to explain what she was feeling. "I've always been protective of Haley, she's my _little_ sister and I love her more than anything" Nathan could tell that she was having trouble with this.  
  
"And I think that's really sweet," he replied, with a smile. This time when Brooke smiled at him, it was more genuine. He's known Brooke for a little over two years now, and he had never seen her like this. She was so worried and distraught. He could tell that she must really care for Haley.  
  
"I don't know if Peyton told you guys what happened or not"  
  
"She didn't, but I figured it out." Brooke's eyes glazed over and she nodded ever so slightly. Nathan wasn't even sure if he could consider that a nod.  
  
"When Haley came stumbling into the Café last night," Brooke began, her voice growing quiet again. She swallowed to get past the thump that was forming in her throat. Nathan squeezed her hand to reassure her that he was listening. "When I realized that it was her, it's like something inside of me just shut down. Like now there's a place in my heart that will always be broken or something, you know."  
  
"Uh huh." Nathan didn't really understand what she was saying since nothing this bug has ever happened to him before. No one he's ever loved has been hurt like this. The closest thing he could think of was when Peyton's mom died. Brooke could tell by the look on his face that he didn't understand, but she kept going anyway.  
  
"I promised myself last night that I was never going to let her get hurt again." In her heart, Brooke knew that was the stupidest thing to think. "I know that there's no way I can keep her safe from everything unless I lock her in a box, but"  
  
"It's a natural feeling, I get it," he assured her. Brooke had to smile at how sweet Nathan was being. She had never seen this side of him before. Now she saw what Peyton was talking about. He could be a real sweetie when he wanted to be. Maybe, there was hope for him yet. "It's like you would do anything to keep her safe."  
  
"And I would, do anything," Brooke agreed, nodding her head. "And I mean anything to keep her from getting hurt like that again." Nathan nodded, feeling the same way. Maybe he didn't feel it as intensely as Brooke, he didn't even really know Haley, but he knew he would feel the same way if it were Peyton or Theresa.  
  
"I think we all would."  
  
"It's just that" Brooke lowered her eyes once again. "I can't be with her every second of the day, I know that, no matter how much I wish I could be, I can't. There will be times when I'm not there and she'll get hurt, I can except that, but I'm just so afraid that"  
  
"What?" Nathan questioned, urging her to continue. After Brooke didn't answer for a few moments, she reached over and gently took a hold of her chin, lighting her head up to look him in the eyes. "What are you afraid of?"  
  
"That she'll break," she whispered. He reached up and wiped away the tear that had fallen down her cheek with the pad of his thumb. "I'm mind numbingly terrified that she'll break. After what our father did to her, I'm scared that something else will happen and she'll just break down."  
  
"That won't happen," he tried to tell her, but she shook her head and pulled out of his grasp. He looked at her, confused at her sudden change in mood.  
  
"You don't know her," she argued, pushing her seat back to stand up. "I know that you think you had some sort of magical connection when you looked into her eyes or whatever, but you don't know her, okay, nobody does!"  
  
"Brooke," Nathan tried again, pushing off his knees to stand up. He took a step towards her, but she moved back. He was trying really had to ignore the things she just said, not wanting to give them much thought. They would only bum him out.  
  
"You weren't there when our grand mother died," she continued to rant. It was a good thing that Haley was drugged out because if she weren't, she certainly would have woken up. "She was the only person other than me that cared about Haley. Out parents couldn't give a damn. When she died, Haley wouldn't come out of our room for a week. She was so depressed, and was so scared that she would hurt herself."  
  
"It looks like that turned out okay." Nathan could hear Brooke's voice starting to waver and stepped closer. When Brooke didn't step back, he took another step. "She came out, didn't she?" Brooke ran a hand over her face and looked up.  
  
"What if she doesn't this time?" Brooke asked. Her questioning eyes burning a hole through Nathan. "Nate, what if she never comes out, huh? What if she just stays locked up in my room for the rest of her life? I'd lose her."  
  
"It's not going to happen," he stated, taking her in his arms. He had never seen Brooke this distraught before. "Everything will be okay, I promise." She shook her head, but didn't make a move to leave his arms.  
  
"I can't lose her, Nathan, I can't, not again," she cried, finally letting the tears flow free. He shook his head and held her tighter, but didn't say a thing. Nothing he said could help her.

**--The mysterious is always attractive. People will always follow a vial.--**

Nathan had finally gotten Brooke to calm down about fifteen minutes later. He tried to talk to her again, but she made some excuse about having to get to Charleston before traffic so she could get Lorraine ready and be back before eight. She showed him were everything was and explained to him that he was to give Haley one of the pills that were on her nightstand if she woke up. After another fifteen minutes of convincing her that he would be fine by himself, she finally left him alone.  
  
It was now an hour later and still no sign of Haley. He had stayed downstairs the whole time, not doing anything but watch television and go to the washroom. Deciding that he was hungry, he flipped off the TV and wandered into the kitchen. He grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge. When he was taking a sip he noticed the note Brooke left for Haley on the counter.  
  
Just as he was about to start reading it, he heard a noise coming from upstairs. He glanced at the stairs for a second before deciding that he was just hearing things. He shook his head and went back to reading. He made it to the third sentence before he heard it again. Sighing, he picked up his drink, folded the note into his pocket and moved towards the stairs.  
  
The first room he checked was of course Brooke's. He was more than a little surprised to find Haley struggling to sit up. Moving faster than he ever thought possible, he moved to Haley's side and helped her up and into a sitting position.  
  
"There you go," he said, smiling when she smiled at him. Their eyes locked for a moment until he realized what he should be doing. He reached across her and grabbed the little bottle of pills on the nightstand. "You're supposed to take one of these," he explained, popping off the lid and pouring some into his hand. He held his hand out to her and she picked one.  
  
"I need a drink," she simply replied, looking down at the little white pill in her hands. Nathan snapped out of his daze.  
  
"Oh, right," he mumbled. "Here." As she reached for the bottle, her landed on top of his. He sat frozen as her fingers brushed his. His eyes wandered down to their hands on the cold bottle and he couldn't help but notice that her hand was shaking slightly.  
  
"Uh, you gonna let go or what?" she teased, finding it sweet that he was staring at their hands. The glazed over look in his disappeared and he immediately let go of the bottle.  
  
"Sorry," he mumbled, cursing under his breath. Haley laughed slightly at the mortified look on his face before downing the pill and washing it down with the water. She handed the bottle back to him, and he was carefully not to touch her hand.  
  
"Thanks." He nodded and reached passed her again to put the pills back where they were.  
  
"How are you feeling?" he asked, subconsciously fixing the covers at the end of the bed so Haley's feet wouldn't get cold. Haley watched his movements in amusement. This was the guy that Brooke was so afraid would break her heart? He was a harmless sweetie, it seemed. "Any better?"  
  
"I feel like my stomach's about to cave in any minute now," she answered, lifting up her shirt to show him the huge bandage that was wrapped around her abdomen. Nathan had to advert his gaze when his eyes started wandering further up. She caught his actions and chuckled lightly, even though it hurt. "But other than that and the pounding headache, I think I'm okay."  
  
"That's good," he answered, trying to find anything in the room to look at that wasn't Haley. For one, he had already been caught with his hand in the cookie jar and two; he was finding it hard to look at her beautiful face when there were bruises and cuts all over it. Haley could sense that he was uncomfortable and decided to change the subject.  
  
"So, where's Brookie?" she asked, looking around the room for any sign of her sister. She couldn't hear anything down stairs, so she assumed that she wasn't there.  
  
"She had to go," he answered, happy to have something to talk about. He was never good in these kinds of situations. He usually said something really stupid. "You're mom called with an SOS or something."  
  
"That explains it," Haley said as she nodded her head. She knew there was no way that Brooke would have left her side if she weren't forced to. "She never would have left other wise."  
  
"Yeah, she figured you'd be out most of the day anyway."  
  
"What can I say," she began, flashing him one of her smiles. "I've always been stronger than western medicine." Despite the situation, he had to laugh at the truly proud look on her face. "It must have just slipped her mind."  
  
"Encase you did wake up, she didn't want you to be alone, so"  
  
"She called you." Haley didn't mean for it to sound the way it did, but that was the way it came out. In her head she was simply stating a fact, but it sounded like she was accusing him of something. His eyes immediately darkened and his shoulders slumped. "No, I didn't mean it like that."  
  
"Everyone else was busy, I guess," he explained, trying to find something to keep his hands busy. "I'm sure she would have called Peyton first, but I'm assuming that she wasn't there" Haley watched him with sad eyes as he desperately tried to explain himself. She quickly thought of something to stop him.  
  
"You're Nathan, right?" she asked, quickly. Nathan immediately stopped his rant and his eyes locked on her's.  
  
"Yeah," he answered. Haley thought it was so cute that he was surprised. If she didn't know any better, she'd think he was excited that she knew his name. "How'd you know?" She smiled softly at him.  
  
"I recognized your voice." The answer seemed to satisfy him as he smiled back at her.  
  
-OTH-  
  
All done for now. I know that wasn't much Naley, but I wanted to continue it into the next chapter. I'm thinking that the next chapter will be half Brooke in Charleston with Lorraine and her mother, and the other half will be Naley goodness. Please, tell me what you think.  
  
The more replies the faster I update.


	9. I Just Need A Stronger Dose

Author's Note: Hey, all. Thank you so much for all the amazing replies. They mean so much for me and really urge me to update faster. So I hope that's enough to get you to continue to reply. If it's not, I'm not above begging. I don't know about you, but I'm so excited about the new season.

-OTH-

**--Sisters are connected throughout their lives by a special bond... whether they try to ignore it or not. For better or for worse, sisters remain sisters, until death do them part.--**

After Brooke left the house, it had taken her just a little under an hour to get to Charlotte. After an unfortunate run-in with her mother, Brooke headed straight for the room she was told Lorraine was in. When she entered, she was surprised to find clothes thrown all over the place and a frantic Lorraine pacing back and forth.  
  
It had taken Brooke nearly an hour to calm Lorraine down and another hour to find something half descend in her wardrobe. Finally, she had Lorraine all dressed up, her makeup on, all she needed was her hair done.  
  
"Thank you so much for coming, Brooke," Lori said for what had to be the hundredth time that day. If she thanked her one more time, Brooke was going to strangle her.  
  
"It's no trouble," Brooke lied, tugging on her hair slightly harder than was needed. Lori winced a little, but didn't say anything. Brooke smiled and continued to comb her hair. "Really."  
  
"I'm so nervous," Lori said, completely out of nowhere. Brooke raised an eyebrow at her comment, completely thrown by it. She looked over Lori's shoulder and saw her tapping her knee nervously.  
  
"Why?" Brooke questioned, genuinely curious. "It's not like it's your first date or anything. From what I've heard you're quite the little slut." Brooke made sure to keep her voice light, so Lori knew she was only joking.  
  
"It's not that," Lori laughed. She shrugged her shoulders. She didn't know whether she should talk about this with Brooke or not. As much as she wanted to be able to trust her, she wasn't sure if she could. "It's just... I've known Josh since forever, you know. I've always had a crush on him. So for him to feel the same way, it's just mind boggling."  
  
"I can see that." Brooke was starting to get uncomfortable now. She hated it when Lori tried to open up and share her feelings. Brooke knew that Lori was trying to make her into a sister or something, but Brooke wasn't going to let that happen. Without another word, she quickly finished doing Lori's hair.  
  
"Done already?" Lori asked when she saw Brooke walking around to stand in front of her. Brooke gave her a tight smile and nodded, going over to the bed to grab her coat. "That was quick."  
  
"I'm speedy," Brooke agreed, moving to the door. Before she could get to it, Lori's voice drew her back.  
  
"Brooke?" she called out. Brooke sighed and slumped her shoulders. With one more eye roll, she turned around to face her. "I know that you don't really like me and that you only came because your mother forced you to, but I really want us to be friends."  
  
"We're friends," Brooke told her, hoping that would get her out of there. It was a lie, they both knew that, but she would tell her anything at this point. "No need to worry about that." When Lori didn't say anything right away, she figured that meant she could leave. She nodded at her and opened the door.  
  
"One day we could be family," Lori blurted out before Brooke could leave the room. The statement caused Brooke to freeze in her spot. "If my dad ends up marrying your mom, we could be sisters." A pissed off look crossed Brooke face as she slammed the door and stalked back over to Lori.  
  
"We will never be sisters," she hissed. A part of her knew that Lori didn't mean anything by it, but it was in her nature to bitchy when it came to Haley. Lori looked taken aback by the look in Brooke's eyes. "I already have a sister that I love more than anything, I'm not looking for a replacement."  
  
"You have a sister?" Lori was shocked at the news. Never once had she ever heard anything about Grace having a daughter other than Brooke. Grace never did like to talk about her past, but she figured she mention something like this.  
  
"Yeah, Haley." The anger in Brooke's eyes slowly turned to confusion as she took in the bewildered expression on the other girl's face. "My twin sister. She lives with my father." Lori expression stayed the same. "You didn't know that?"  
  
"Your mom never said a word about her." Brooke's anger returned full force and she shook her head. She let out a bitter laugh.  
  
"Typical." Without another word, she spun on her heals and stalked back to the door. This time she was leaving.  
  
"Brooke..."  
  
"I'll see you around," she called back, without looking at her. She didn't know why she let her mother get to her like this. It just bothered her that Grace didn't love Haley. She didn't understand how anyone could not like a wonderful girl like Haley, but she was about to find out.  
  
--**Charm is a way of getting the answer yes without asking a clear question.--**  
  
Nathan Scott is and always has been a player. It was obviously something that he got from his mother, because that was the complete opposite from his brother. While Lucas has been dating the same girl for about two years, he's never had a relationship longer than a week, except for when he dated Peyton, but that was all the way back in the seventh grade so that didn't really count.  
  
Nathan liked girls. Other than basketball, they were probably his favorite thing in the world. There was just something about them; their hair, their face, their body, they were perfect. Of course, some of them were better than others; Peyton, Brooke and Theresa being some of the only few good ones left. They were hot, funny and smart.  
  
That was part of the reason he couldn't make anything work with them. He knew that they were too smart to fall for his crap. So he wasted his time on chasing the bimbos and the whores because they were a sure thing. He was sure to get laid and he was sure not to get hurt.  
  
Nathan had watched as his parent's marriage deteriorated right in front of his eyes. He saw how much pain it had cause both for them and he never wanted to end up like that. His father hated the whole world and his mother wouldn't stop whining about the divorce. He would do anything to prevent that.  
  
So he went from girl to girl, never investing anything in the relationship. He flirted for a few days, paid for a nice dinner, screwed her and threw her out. No one got hurt. It's not like the girls didn't know what was going to happen, that's why they were there in the first place. His reputation was known throughout the town and he liked it that way.  
  
Then he saw Haley. There was just something about her, he couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but it made him want to get to know her. He wanted to sit down and talk to her, find out what her interests were, her favorite songs, her first kiss and the first time a guy broke her heart. Nathan Scott never wanted to know those things. But Haley brought that out in him.  
  
As a player, Nathan needed to be able to talk smoothly to a girl. He's never had any trouble interacting with the female race, but right now, with Haley sitting not three feet away from him, he was finding it hard to breathe. Every time he wanted to say something, he had to rehearse it in his head to make sure he didn't say anything stupid.  
  
"So, what do you feel like doing?" Nathan asked, from his end of the couch. After Haley was feeling a bit better, they had decided to head downstairs and watch some television or something. Haley tore her eyes of the happenings on the screen and looked at Nathan's nervous face.  
  
"I thought we were watching TV," she answered with a smile, pointing to the television screen. Haley could tell that she was making Nathan nervous, she just wasn't sure why.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Nathan replied as if it were nothing. Haley watched in amusement as his cheeks turned a slight shade of red. He was blushing, that's so cute. "I just thought that maybe there was something else you wanted to do. Or something else you wanted to watch."  
  
"Sure," Haley told him. She felt bad that she had kind of shrugged off his suggestion like that. She moved in her position, tucking her legs under her more. She was wearing sweats so he couldn't see her bruises, but she felt the need to hide them anyway.  
  
"Well, we shouldn't leave encase Brooke comes back," he pointed out. It was obvious that Haley was not in the shape to be going anywhere, but he didn't want to just assume that. He looked around the room for something to occupy the time. He smirked when he spotted the DVD rack. "You wanna watch a movie?"  
  
"Sounds good to me," she answered, not really giving it much thought. There wasn't much on TV and she didn't really feel like talking just yet. Plus, she didn't think Nathan could handle a conversation, it took him long enough to get out a sentence at a time.  
  
"Any preferences?" he questioned as he pushed himself off the couch and over to where the DVDs were stacked. The questioned surprised him; usually he would pick the movie because there was no way he was sitting through some cheesy chick flick. Nothing turned him off faster than a chick flick. But for Haley, he'd suffer through it.  
  
"What looks good?" Haley was surprised by the question too. She was used to the guy picking the movie as well. She couldn't remember the last time she had got to pick the movie. Even when she was younger, Brooke would always play the older sister card and decide what movie they watched.  
  
"Uh, let me check." Nathan skimmed through them, picking the movies he figured she would want to see. "We've got; Runaway Bride, Steel Magnolias, My Best Friend's Wedding, A Walk to Remember..."  
  
"God, no," she groaned, holding her hands over her face and moaning into them. Nathan turned to look at her to see what the problem was. "I hate chick flicks, can't stand them. I need some gross out comedy or ass kicking action in my movies." Nathan's face lit up with a smile and for the first time since his parents got divorced, it reached his eyes.  
  
"My kind of girl," he responded without thinking. Before he could even think about taking it back, he caught the grin that came to Haley's lips. They locked eyes for a moment, before Haley looked down at her lap. He shook his head and looked back at the DVDs. "So what are you looking for? Gross out comedy or ass kicking action?"  
  
"I've had enough action over the past few days," she commented, rolling her eyes at the sympathetic look that crossed Nathan's face. "So, I think watching Jason Biggs shove his dick in a pie is exactly what I need." Nathan let out a laugh and nodded, grabbing the movie she just described.  
  
"American Pie it is." He stood up, put in the DVD and returned to the couch. He frowned when he realized that Brooke's DVD player was too cheap to change scenes so they'd have to sit through the previews. "Piece of crap."  
  
"Why don't we get something to eat while we wait?" Haley suggested. She hated previews; especially ones from old movies since all the movies they were previewing had already come out. Nathan nodded and stood back up. He waited for Haley to get to her feet before slipping an arm around her waist to help her into the kitchen.  
  
"I've got you." Haley had to ignore the feelings that rushed through her when Nathan put his arm around her body while Nathan tried to ignore how he and Haley seemed to fit perfectly together. When they entered the kitchen, Nathan sat Haley down in one of the chairs before moving over to look in the fridge. "What do you want?"  
  
"My throat is killing me," Haley began, raising a hand to massage her neck without realizing it. Nathan glanced at her before closing the fridge and opening up the freezer door above it. He smiled as he reached in and grabbed something.  
  
"I scream," he began, smirking at her. Haley looked at him strangely for a moment until she realized what he was saying.  
  
"You scream," she added with a laugh.  
  
"We all scream," he continued. He honestly couldn't believe he was doing this. This was corny and Nathan Scott doesn't do corny, he does sexy. There is nothing sexy about the ice cream song, he was sure of it.  
  
"For ice cream," they both finished. Haley giggled as he pulled out the tub of no name ice cream. Nathan's heart warmed at the sound of her laughter. He looked over at her and couldn't help but notice how cute she was. Even with her beat up face, it was almost as if her smile lit up her entire face. Haley noticed him staring at her.  
  
"You gonna do something with that?" she asked, pointing to the forgotten tub in his hands. "Or just wait for it to melt?" At the sound of her voice, Nathan snapped out of his dazed and shook his head. He looked at her in confusion.  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"The ice cream," she explained, looking at him weirdly. Realization came to his eyes as he realized what he was supposed to be doing. "You gonna do something with that?"  
  
"Right, yeah," he answered, turning away from her before she could see the blush on his cheeks. "I'll just get the bowls." He moved around the counter and reached up for the bowls in the top cupboard. Haley's sight caught a glimpse of his hard stomach when his shirt lifted as he reached up.  
  
"So, um, do you work out?" she asked quickly. She shut her eyes, shaking her head at her own stupidity. Real smooth, Haley, real smooth. She opened her eyes to find Nathan looking at her strangely. "I mean, do you play any sports, is what I meant to say."  
  
"A few," he replied as he scooped out some of the ice cream and dropped it into the bowls. "Basketball mostly." She nodded, glad that he didn't say anything about her original question.  
  
"I love basketball." He looked clearly impressed as he walked over and put the tub back into the freezer. "Well, I love watching basketball. Playing, not so much."  
  
"You don't got game?" He grabbed the bowls and handed them both to Haley. She stood up and let him warp his arm around her again.  
  
"It's shocking how much game I don't got," she laughed. Nathan took the bowls out of her hand so she could sit back down on the couch. Once she was comfy, he handed her one of the bowls and sat at his end.  
  
"Maybe I can teach you some time," he suggest as if it weren't a big deal. All these feelings were so new to him. Was he scared of getting rejected? That's certainly a first. He looked at her through the corner of his eyes and saw that she was smiling softly at him.  
  
"I'd really like that." They shared the look for another moment before they both turned away. They both smiled to themselves as they began to watch the movie.  
  
-OTH-  
  
Okay, that's all for now. I hope it's up to your liking. Please reply to tell me what you think. Thanks.


	10. Blame Everyone but Me for this Mess

Author's Note: Hello to you all. I wanted to say thank you to all of you great people that have replied so far, it means a lot to me so I hope you keep it up. Just so you all know this chapter focuses in Brooke. It was originally supposed to be half Brooke, half Naley, but it didn't end up working out that way. But I hope you enjoy anyway and please tell me what you think.

-OTH-

--** One drop of hatred left in the cup of joy turns the most blissful draught into poison.--**

After Brooke stormed out of Lorraine's hotel room, she headed down to the lobby, hoping the clerk had some idea where her mother went tonight. The guys had no idea, but luckily for her, she was spotted by one of her mother's friends. Brooke had to suppress the urge to run in the other direction when she saw them coming towards her, but if she wanted to find her mother, she would have to suffer through it.  
  
She plastered on a fake smile and turned around, greeting Susie Ward and Maggie Stevens. The two of them were like the attached at the hip. If Brooke didn't know any better, she would swear they were lovers. She had to keep down a laugh at the very thought. Her mother would have a heart attack if her friends were gay. Abusive fathers were fine with her, but when it came to same sex couples, she was a prude. Bitch.  
  
"Well, if it isn't little Brooke James," Susie called out from across the room. Brooke smiled and waved. They always called her that. It was like they knew her since she was a baby, which they didn't. They've known her for two years, and she was using the word 'know' lightly.  
  
"Hi, Mrs. Ward," she replied with a tight smile. She sent another smile in the other woman's direction. "Mrs. Stevens." They finally reached her and both gave her hugs. Brooke almost fainted.  
  
"Don't be silly dear," Maggie said, with a wave of her hand. "You know you can call us Maggie and Susie. There is no need for formalities." These women her sick. They were like the Stepford Wives or something.  
  
"Of course," she responded. Brooke looked around, pretending to be searching for her mother or Tony. Maggie noticed her wandering eyes. "I was just looking for my mother. Do you know were she is?"  
  
"Oh, her and Tony left a little while ago," Susie answered with a silly grin. Yep, Brooke decided, she was definitely hammered already.  
  
"Yes, I believe they were heading over to the restaurant around the corner," Maggie added. Brooke looked at her and figured that she was probably less drunk; she always did seem to be the more conservative one. "They left with Marie and Simon."  
  
"It's just around the corner?" Brooke questioned. She wanted to talk to her mother desperately, and by talk she meant scream, but she didn't know if she could trust their word. They both seemed more than a little buzzed.  
  
"Yep," Susie slurred. "I'm not sure what it's called, but I positive that's where they were headed." Brooked nodded and started to back up. She wanted to get out of there before they started trying to get her to go out with their ugly sons. Really the last thing she needed.  
  
"Thanks you guys," she told them. She nodded her head and quickly ran out of the hotel and down the street. Just like she said, she saw Tony's car parked outside. She shook her head, the restaurant was right down the street and they still took a car. That was sad.  
  
With a quick glance at the patio to make sure they didn't choose to eat outside, she headed inside. Of course, since she was just wearing her sweats, a waiter at the front immediately stopped her before she could even spot her mother.  
  
"Excuse me, miss," he stated, stepping in her way so she couldn't get into the main room. He looked her up and down and gave her a look of disgust. "Are you looking for someone?"  
  
"Is there reservations under the name Tony Shaw or Simon Baker?" she asked in an annoyed voice. The man sighed and checked the main sheet. He flipped the page and found one of the names she was looking for.  
  
"Yes, a table for four." Brooke was really getting sick of this guy. "Do you have any business with these people." She couldn't believe the nerve of this guy. Just cause she wasn't dressed up in an expensive dress didn't mean she was beneath him. Besides, he was the waiter, were did he get off giving her dirty looks.  
  
"Yeah, I'm looking for my mother," she snapped. "Grace James." Considering she was already pissed enough with her mother, this guy was just adding to the fire. He nodded and went in search of their table. She waited in her spot, going over what she was going to say in her mind.   
  
Where was she supposed to start? She couldn't just walk up to her and start yelling could she? Why not? All those years of pent up frustration over her mother's attitude towards her sister was finally starting to drive her crazy. She couldn't stand the total disregard her mother had towards the well being or even the existence of her sister.  
  
Brooke spotted the waiter talking to her mother at her table. The waiter pointed in her direction, showing Grace where Brooke was standing. She watched as her mother shook her head at the guy's question. The guy started walking back over with a satisfied look on his face.  
  
"Ms. James has asked me to deliver a message to you," he told her. She wanted to smack that grin right off her face. She looked at him, expecting him to tell her what her mother had to say. "She said that she is busy right now and will deal with you when she's done her meal."  
  
"Is that so?" she questioned. The guy nodded and smirked at her. Before he could stop her, she quickly moved passed him and stormed into the main room and right up to her mother's table. She saw the look of anger flash on her mother's face and it gave her some form of satisfaction. "I need to talk to you."  
  
"Brooke, this can wait until after dinner," Grace said sternly. She sent apologetic smiles to everyone else at the table before looking back up at her daughter. Brooke stood where she was, hands on hips.  
  
"I'm not staying that long," she shot back. If her mother honestly thought she was staying in this place for any longer than she had to, she was sadly mistaking. She looked around at all that people staring at her. Normally, she would have been very uncomfortable in this kind of situation, but she was just way too pissed off at her mother to care that people thought she was crazy.   
  
"Brooke..."  
  
"We can either discuss this right here, or we can do it in private." Brooke James was a very determined person. When she had her mind set on something, she never let anything stand in her way. She wanted answers from her mother, and if that meant a few shocked stares, then so be it. "Either way, I'm talking."  
  
"There is nothing to talk about," Grace tried. She hated when her daughter got this way. She didn't know what set her off, but she only got this worked up over one thing; Haley. "I am in the middle of a very nice dinner with my friends."

--** If you hate a person, you hate something in him that is part of yourself. What isn't part of ourselves doesn't disturb us.--**

"Do you even remember her name?" Brooke interrupted. She saw that her mother wasn't going to talk about this willingly. So, if she wasn't going to give her answers, Brooke was at least going to give her a piece of her mind. Grace immediately shut her mouth, but kept her eyes locked on Brooke. Tony looked back and forth between the two, trying to figure out what this was all about.  
  
"Brooke, what are you talking about?" he asked her. He had never seen either his girlfriend or her daughter like this before. He knew they didn't really get along, but they usually just ignored each other. He never did ask why Brooke hated her mother so much. Brooke completely ignored him and continued to stare her mother down.   
  
"It's Haley, by the way," she filled in for her mother when she saw that she wasn't going to be answering any time soon. "September 21 at 3:36 in the morning – five minutes after me. She only weighed three pounds. I've seen pictures, she was so tiny." Brooke saw the icy glare on her mother's face start to dissolve. So, maybe she had a heart after all. "You told me the doctors said that I took too much of the nutrients your body was giving us. That's way she was so small."   
  
"Brooke, please..." Grace hated even thinking about that time in her life. When she had seen how tiny her daughter was, her heart almost broke. She honestly thought that they were going to lose her. The doctors said told them that most parents take their babies off the life support after a certain point so they can try it on their own. They had brought Brooke in so she could meet her sister at least once. They were told that it was a miracle that she survived.  
  
"I don't understand how God could help her survive something like that, just so she could have such a horrible life." Brooke stopped for a moment to collect herself. She glanced over at Tony and saw the shocked and confused expression on his face. "And I certainly don't understand how a mother can just forget about her child like that."  
  
"Brooke," Tony called out forcefully. He had no idea who she was taking about, but he wanted to know. After a moment, Brooke finally tore her gaze off her mother and turned to him. "Who are you talking about? Who's Haley?"  
  
"So, she hasn't told you either, huh?" He looked at her in confusion. "She's my sister, twin sister, actually." Grace closed her eyes. She knew Tony would be upset that she kept this from him. He looked over at Grace who wouldn't meet his stare.  
  
"You have a sister?"  
  
"Yes," Brooke answered. "I see that my mother has made a point not to mention that to of her new friends." She looked back at her mother and narrowed her eyes. "And why is that, huh? Are you ashamed of her or something? Or are you ashamed of yourself for leaving her with our father?"  
  
"I think it's time for you to leave," came a voice form behind her. She didn't have to turn around to know that it was the same waiter from before. She shook her head.  
  
"I'm not done." Without another word, two other waiters joined him and grabbed her by the arms. It was obvious that she wasn't going to leave by herself, so they had no choice but to use force.  
  
"Yes you are." They started dragging her away, but they weren't doing it with her cooperation. She looked at her mother and couldn't believe she was letting them take her away like that. What kind of mother just sits there as their child is being dragged away by two men?  
  
"I know that you're upset," her mother called out. Brooke struggled even more in the men's grip. Since the guys weren't really that built, she managed to get one of her arms free. She tried to get back over to her mother's table.  
  
"You don't know anything!" she screamed back. She was sure that she had the whole restaurant's attention now. She got her other arm free and stalked back over to the table. "Has she ever called you in the middle of the night in tears because dad beat her up again?" Grace's eyes widened. She couldn't understand what her daughter was saying. She had never seen her daughter this upset before. "When was the last time you stayed on the phone with her at three in the morning until she finally fell back asleep?"  
  
"You're out of here," the waiter told her. They tried to grab her again, but she roughly pushed them away. She refused to leave until she was done.  
  
"Tell me, when was the last time you saw her?" She has wanted to do this for the longest time and now she was finally doing it. Why didn't she feel any better? "Hell, how about the last time you talked to her? Or even thought about her for that matter?"  
  
Grace didn't know what to say. Over the past two years, she hadn't thought about anything except her daughter. Despite what it may seem like, there was nothing in the world that was more important to her than her children. And the fact that her daughter was under the assumption that she didn't even care about her, made her hate herself.  
  
"I think about her all the time," she shot back. Brooke let out a bitter laugh and shook her head. "You have no idea how I feel about her."  
  
"It doesn't really matter what you feel," Brooke hissed. "What matters is what you do and you've done nothing. I've told you countless times that Haley was in trouble and you never did anything about it. You didn't even check up on it. You just laughed it off and let you're daughter get beaten."  
  
"I did no such thing."  
  
"Have you ever heard her cry?" Brooke asked, her voice suddenly filled with such emotion. She tried desperately to hold back her own tears. "God, it's like the worst sound in the entire world. Hearing her voice so broken like that, it makes me what to kill him with my bare hands."  
  
"Ma'am," came the waiter's voice. He laid a hand on her shoulder, but made sure not to use force. "You really need to go. You can either walk our of here, or we'll be forced to call the police." Brooke let out a frustrated sigh and slumped her shoulders. She turned around and nodded.  
  
"I'll leave," she told the guy. She turned back to her mother; she wasn't finished with her quite yet. "You are supposed to be her mother. That means that you are supposed to care for her, be there for her and love her. You haven't done any of those things."  
  
Everybody in the place had their full attention on them. Not a word could be heard throughout the entire building. Even some people from the back had come out to see what all the yelling was about. Brooke was actually glad that they were listening. Now maybe her mother would see herself for what she really is.  
  
"You are a sorry excuse for a human being and I can't even stand to look at you anymore." She shook her head and took a step back. She could still feel the waiter's hand on her shoulder, gently leading her away. She turned back around. "And I want to tell you this, just so you know; I hate you."  
  
Without another word, she let herself be led out of the restaurant. She got more than a few stares on her way out, but she tried her best to ignore them. Once they reached the front door, the waiter's manors disappeared and he shoved her out the door. She landed on her ass in the middle of the busy sidewalk.  
  
Ignoring the strange looks she was getting from the people walking by, Brooke pushed herself to her feet and brushed her pants off. She glared at the waiter who was waiting to make sure she left, and walked off. She was back at the hotel within minutes and sitting in the safety of her car before long.  
  
When she was inside, she finally let the tears fall. They racked her body, as she slumped forward in her seat and rested her head on the steering wheel. Never in her life had she ever lost total control like that, but when Lori had told her that her mother never mentioned anything to her about Haley she just snapped.  
  
It wasn't until just now, now that she was by herself and had time to think, that she realized she had no right to be angry with her mother for keeping Haley a secret. That's what she did. Never over the span of two years, had she told her friends about her twin sister. So why did she go off on her mother like that? How could she hate her for something that she had done herself?  
  
-OTH-  
  
Okay, done. I know that you are all upset that their was no Naley, but this part ended up being longer than I thought it was going to be. But don't worry, that just means that all of the next chapter will be Naley. Please tell me what you think. You know if you review it makes me update faster.


	11. Drop A Heart, Break A Name

Author's Note: Hey, everyone. Thank you so much for the great replies, they means so much to me. I was surprised that there were so many considering there was no Naley, hell, neither Haley nor Nathan were even in it! But I guess, it's the common hatred for their parents that you liked. I will admit, I really enjoyed writing Brooke bitching at her mother, she deserved it! Anyway, this chapter is mostly Naley; it takes place a couple hours were we left off. I'll try to make it as sweet as possible, so I hope you guys all enjoy it.  
  
-OTH-

--**And it will fall out as in a complication of diseases, that by applying a remedy to one sore, you will provoke another; and that which removes the one ill symptom produces others.--**

Haley was surprised at the fact that even after all these years, she still found that movie funny. How many times can you watch someone hump a pie and still find it entertaining? She figured it was some kind of comfort for her, being able to forget about her more serious problems and focus on other people's. It was also the familiar feeling she gets when watching it. There was something about knowing what was going to happen that made her feel better.  
  
In real life, she didn't have that feeling, most people didn't. She had no idea what was going to happen next in her life. Hell, she didn't even know what she would be doing an hour from now. And it was that uncertainty that made her feel uneasy. It had become somewhat of a routine for her over the years, not knowing if she'd survive through the night, but it still scared her.  
  
She knew that was safe now, at least safer than she was before, but there was still that nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach that was telling her that she wasn't out of danger yet. Her father could very easily walk through that door any minute now and drag her back to her old house. She wanted to believe more than anything that Brooke could keep her safe, but she knew that wasn't true. If her father came back here, there was nothing Brooke could do to stop him.  
  
A shiver ran through her body at the very thought of seeing her father again. She could almost feel his hand tightening around her wrist, bruising and breaking the skin on the surface. Without realizing it, she pulled her knees up against her chest, trying to keep herself covered. She snuggled into the back of the couch, wishing it to fold her into the fabric.  
  
Nathan smirked as he clicked the stop button on the converter and tossed it onto the table. The sudden noise caused Haley to whimper and bury her face in her knees. Nathan looked over at her and was surprised to find her shaking. He wasn't sure what to do. His first instinct was to pull her into his arms, but he knew that contact wouldn't be welcomed at the moment.  
  
"Haley?" he called out softly. He wasn't sure what was wrong, a few seconds ago she was perfectly fine, but he didn't think it would be a good idea to startle her. Haley stopped whimpering, but didn't look up. "Haley, are you okay?"  
  
"Nathan?" she asked, he voice waving near the end. Nathan had to fight down the urge to hold her when he heard the lost tone in her voice. Without answering, he moved closer on the couch, reaching out to a lay a hand on her knee.  
  
"I'm right here," he answered when she didn't look up. He was thankful that she didn't jump or recoil at his touch. After a few moments of silence, she slowly lifted her head off her knees to look at him. When he saw her eyes, he gave her a warm smile to let her know that everything was okay. "Hey."  
  
"Hey," she greeted back. She looked down at the hand resting on her knee before looking around the rest of the room. She felt all the muscles in her stomach unclench when she realized that her father wasn't there. She had just gone off in her hand, getting lost in the horrible thoughts of her father.  
  
"You okay?" Haley caught the note of concern in his voice and couldn't help but let a smile grace her lips. She let out a nervous laugh, embarrassed at her behavior and nodded. She noticed that his brow was still furrowed in concern; she could tell that he didn't believe her. She laughed and reached forward, rubbing his forehead in an attempt to make the worry lines disappear.  
  
"I'm fine." When he nodded, she dropped her hand to her side. She waited for Nathan to move away some and she stretched her legs back out on the couch. Sensing that he was still a little worried, she sighed. "I'm sorry, I just got caught up in my thoughts, that's all."  
  
"That's okay," he assured her. Nathan leaned for the remote and flipped off the television. He glanced at Haley a couple of times, wanting to make sure that she was really okay. "Did you want to talk about it?" Haley frowned slightly and shook her head.  
  
"Not really," she answered softly. She felt bad that she was kind of rejecting him, but she didn't mean it like that. She just wasn't comfortable enough with him to talk about her father. He was a nice guy and she knew he would be a big help in the coming weeks, but she didn't want to share this with him, at least not yet.  
  
"Okay."  
  
"It's nothing personal," she quickly assured him. She felt so bad when she heard the sadness in his voice. "It's just, I was having a really nice time with you today, you know. We were just hanging out, without you treating me like I might break. I just don't want to let this thing with my dad disrupt that."  
  
"I understand," he replied, giving her a reassuring smile. He'll admit, it hurt a little that she wasn't willing to talk about it with him, but he didn't understand why she didn't want to. "It's cool."  
  
"Today was supposed to be about forgetting everything that happened," she continued. She still wasn't convinced that nobody's feelings were being hurt. "I just want to act normal for a change, pretend that my father's not a complete jackass." Nathan nodded. "I have Brooke to talk about that kind of stuff with. She understands everything."  
  
"You guys are pretty close, huh?" He jumped at the chance to change the subject. Now that he thought about, he was kind of glad that she didn't want to talk about her father. He wasn't sure if he could stop the intense feeling of hatred that always seemed to boil in the bottom of his stomach every time he thought about what Haley's father did to her.  
  
"The closest," Haley answered without hesitation. This was a subject she was more comfortable discussing with him. "It's weird, even after all this time being separated, we still know each other better than anyone. I swear, even if Brooke suddenly turned blind, she'd still be able to read me like a book."  
  
"Really?" Nathan asked with a laugh. He pushed himself up on the couch, tugging his feet under himself and turning to face Haley. He found it to be quite interesting to hear how different his friend was with her sister than she was with her friends. "Cause she never seems to get the hint around the gang."  
  
"Yeah," Haley nodded, laughing at the thought. That was definitely the way Brooke would act. "I think it's just like a sister thing or something. She could never take a hint. I'm not sure if she doesn't get it or if she doesn't care."  
  
"My moneys on the second one," Nathan commented. He loved Brooke, he really did, but he also lover teasing her. Haley laughed and nodded, agreeing wholeheartedly.  
  
"Probably." She liked this feeling, laughing. She knew it won't last, she couldn't pretend that everything was fine forever, but for now; she was content to live in the moment. The laughter slowly stopped, and ignoring the pain that was shooting through her because if it, she calmed down. "Seriously though, Brooke's the greatest. She's been everything to me over the past two years."  
  
"It's good that you have that," he replied, his expression turning more serious as well. "That you have someone that loves you as much as Brooke does. You should have seen her before she left, she was freaking out." Haley raised an eyebrow at his statement.  
  
"Really?" He nodded. "How come?"  
  
"She's just really worried about you," he answered. As much as he thought that Haley should know how Brooke felt, he didn't feel it was his place to tell her about the conversation he had with Brooke earlier. He was sure that she wouldn't appreciate that. Haley rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah, I know," Haley sighed. She loved Brooke, more than anything and she knew the feeling was mutual, but sometimes Brooke could go overboard. "I know she's worried that I'll break or whatever, and I totally understand that, but she really needs to except that I'll be okay."  
  
--**If there is one thing worse than being an ugly duckling in a house of swans, it's having the swans pretend there's no difference.--**

"Will you really?" he challenged. Everything in him was telling him that he needed to just shut up and let it go, but he couldn't. There was just something about this girl that made him feel protective of her. He could almost she the pain in her eyes and he felt it wasn't fair that she had to hide it. "Will you really be okay?"  
  
"Yeah," she answered unsurely. She didn't like where he was going with this and she defiantly didn't like the look in his eyes. She suddenly felt uneasy under his intense stare. "Why won't I be?"  
  
"Cause you're hiding the way you really feel," Nathan pointed out as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Haley looks taken aback at his comment, surprised at what he just said. "I've known you for five hours, and I can see that. I see the way your eyes darken when you talk about your father, or the way they light up when you talk about Brooke."  
  
"You don't know what you're talking about," Haley mumbled. She hated the way he could read her; it scared her to death. She had gotten used to the way Brooke could read her mind, but the fact that any stranger could made her feel uncomfortable. "You don't even know me."  
  
"You're right, I don't know you," Nathan answered back, nodding his head. He could tell that Haley wasn't comfortable with what he was saying, but he felt that she needed to hear it. He's seen what happens when you hide your true feelings; people get hurt. "I hardly know anything about you, but I do know that you're hurting and that you're trying not to let anyone see it."  
  
"So what do you want me to do?" Haley was really starting to get annoyed now. Who the hell did this guy think he was? He just starts telling her how to live her life? "Do you want me to run up to Brooke's room and lock myself in there? Should I just crawl into the fetal position and cry?"  
  
"If it'll help," Nathan answered simply. He became a little uneasy under the death glare Haley was shooting at him, but he knew he was right about this. He knew what Haley was trying to do, and it wasn't going to help anyone. "You want Brooke to stop treating you like nothing happened, then you have to stop pretending that you're okay with what did happen. You can't expect others to be honest when you're not."  
  
"I think you should just mind your business," Haley snapped. There was nothing she hated more then being told what to feel, but she couldn't fight the fact that he was right and that just pissed her off even more. Nathan felt bad that she was pissed off, but she needed help and if he could give it to her, he would.  
  
"Brooke's my friend, she is my business," he explained with a smirk. As much as he hated the fact that Haley was hurting, he always loved to be right. "You mean everything to her, which makes you my business too." Haley let out a bitter laugh and sat up straight, mimicking Nathan's sitting position and looking at him in fake interest.  
  
"Okay, Dr. Phil," she replied sarcastically. "You're so old and wise, you seem to know how I should be feeling, tell me; what am I doing wrong?"  
  
"Do you really want to know what I think?"  
  
"I really do."  
  
"I think that you're more worried about Brooke's feelings than your own," he answered. Haley thought over what he just said and opened her mouth to deny it, but suddenly felt the need to bite her tongue. "You know how much Brooke loves you and you're afraid that if you let yourself break down and show her how much you're really hurting over this, that she'll feel like crap for leaving you with that bastard for so long."  
  
"No, that's not..."  
  
"You know it is," he cut her off. "You're willing to mask your own pain to make Brooke feel better and that's not fair to you or her." Nathan decided that he should give her a couple minutes to think about that. He grabbed both their empty bowls and walked into the kitchen. He rinsed them out with water and let them soak in the sink for a while. He waited a few more minutes before returning to the living room.  
  
When he came back into the living room, Haley wasn't in the same spot as before. She had shifted a little, her feet resting firmly on the ground. She was bend forward, her elbows resting on her knee and her head was in her hands. He didn't say anything, just slipped passed her and sat back down at his end of the couch. They sat in silence for a few more moments before Haley sighed and leaned against the back of the couch with a huff of frustration.  
  
"You're right," she answered. Her voice was so low that Nathan almost didn't hear her. She hated situations like this because she hated talking about her feelings with anyone that wasn't Brooke, but there was just something about him that told her she could trust him with this.  
  
"I always am," he teased, hoping to lighten the mood somewhat. She smirked at him and he was happy that it appeared to have worked. "You'll learn that in time."  
  
"You don't know Brooke," she began. "Not the way I do. She doesn't like to see people in pain, it's almost like she feels some sort of material instinct to help them or whatever, and she's always been that way. But when it comes to me, she just goes crazy."  
  
"So I've witnessed," Nathan commented. He caught the look Haley was giving him and smiled. "When I came over, I made some remark about being her brother in law and she thought I meant it like we were going to get married..."  
  
"Let me guess," Haley interrupted. She could play this entire scene out in her head. Brooke was just so predictable. "She threatened to castrate you if you came near me."  
  
"Not in some many words, but..." Haley nodded, telling him that she knew hat he was talking about. Brooke always insisted on meeting all the guys that asked Haley out before they went on their date because she didn't want her to end up with some sicko rapist. Stop and marvel at the irony.  
  
"That's just Brooke," Haley concluded. She had stopped trying to understand how her sister worked a long time ago. "She's always taken it so hard when I get hurt. The first time I told her about our dad hitting me, it took me over an hour to get her to stop crying."  
  
"It's just cause she loves you so much."  
  
"Yeah, I know." Haley couldn't count the number of times Brooke had told her that over the past two years, she didn't need Nathan telling her that too. Haley bowed her head and suddenly found the hem of her shirt very interesting. "Nathan, if I show her how much this is hurting me, it will kill her. I can't do that, I won't."  
  
"But this is hurting you," Nathan pointed out. He didn't understand where Haley was coming from, he didn't have the same relationship with Lucas that she had with Brooke. "I don't understand how you can keep something like this from her."  
  
"She'd do anything to keep me safe, and I'd do the same for her," she answered. She didn't expect him to get what she was saying, he couldn't. "So, if that means I have to suffer to keep her from that kind of pain... I'm okay with that."  
  
"She won't be." He sighed and ran a hand over his face. He gave up. She obviously wasn't going to listen to him, so he wasn't going to waste his breath. "Look, if I'm able to tell you're hiding the way you're feeling, then she will be too."  
  
"You don't know that." Nathan eyed her and shrugged. She could tell that he didn't agree with her, but he didn't want to say anything. She could appreciate a guy that knew when to shut up.  
  
"I'm just saying," he replied. "When she finds out that you're in pain and didn't tell her, she's gonna to be upset." Haley certainly couldn't argue with that, Brooke would have a hissy fit. "And you guys are going to have to have a long talk."  
  
"Well, I'll deal with that when it happens." Nathan decided it would be best not to point out the fact that she said when and not if. Haley was impressed when he didn't jump on her mistake. She thought that was very gentlemen like of him. They shared a knowing smile for a moment, before they both turned away. Nathan cleared his throat and looked over at the blank screen.  
  
"So, do you want to watch another movie?" A sweet smile came to Haley's face and she shook her head. She leaned towards him and took the remote out of his hands. Without looking at the television, she clicked it off and tossed it back on the table.  
  
"Actually, I think I'd like to hear more about you." They had spent the whole afternoon talking about her and she realized that she hardly knew anything about him. All she knew was that he had a brother and liked to play basketball. Nathan looked at her strangely for a moment before nodded hesitantly.  
  
"Okay," he said, unsure of what he was getting himself into. He didn't know if he liked that smile on her face. "What do you want to know about me?" She smirk that was on her lips, slowly turned into a genuine smile.  
  
"Everything." And she was surprised to realize how true that statement was. There was something about him that drew her to him. She wasn't sure if it was his perfect smile or his amazing blue eyes, but she just felt the need to get to know him. But the thing that surprised her the most was the fact that everything almost seemed right in the world as long as she could hear his voice.  
  
-OTH-  
  
That's all for now. I hope that you guys liked it. I'm sorry if it sucks. I stopped half way through it and when I came back I couldn't remember what I was trying to say. Anyway, please tell me what you think. Thanks and take care.


	12. A Joke of A Romantic

Author's Note: Hey, everyone. Thanks for the great reviews from all of you how gave one. I'm glad that you like the Naley and I agree with those of you who think that they needed to develop a friendship first. What happened to Haley is something that she needs to deal with and it will take a while. It would be very unrealistic if she just magically got over it and started dating Nathan right away. Anyway, I'm also happy that you all like the bond between Brooke and Haley because right now, Brooke's the only thing Haley has. Okay, so that all the ranting I have for today, on with the story.  
  
-OTH-

**--Events in the past may be roughly divided into those which probably never happened and those which do not matter.--**

"What about that one?" Haley asked, as examined Nathan's arm. After Nathan told Haley his life story, they had somehow gotten into the subject of scars and all that good stuff. "What's that from?"  
  
"That's from my buddy Tim," Nathan explained, trying his best to ignore the warm feeling that was running through him as Haley ran her hand up and down his arm. "It was just a couple years ago actually." Haley nodded, holding in her laughter.  
  
"Brooke's told me about that kid," Haley replied. Tim Smith was almost a legend to her. "From what Brooke has told me he's quite the dumbass." Nathan couldn't help but laugh at her words. Even the people who've never met him know he's a complete idiot, but that was part of his charm.  
  
"I'm sure it's all true," Nathan informed her. He shook his head and decided to get back on track with his story. "Anyway, so we had just won our first game on the Ravens, and that's a big deal around here. The whole basketball thing is like a religion in this town." Haley nodded her head, knowing exactly what he was talking about.  
  
"I know," she replied with a sweet smile. "Brooke complains all the time about how all Lucas can talk about is basketball. I think she misses the parallel where all she can talk about is Lucas talking about basketball." Haley didn't know what she was doing; she just kept on talking about anything. She wasn't sure when it happened, but all of a sudden she was starting to feel uncomfortable around him.  
  
"It's kind of hard to miss," Nathan commented, watching as her hands continued to probe the nasty looking scar on his arm. "To celebrate our victory, Tim decided that the whole team should held out to the Docks and steal one of the boats." Haley let out a laugh that Nathan could tell was forced. He frowned a little, not liking that fact that she was trying to pretend with him.  
  
"Then what happened?"  
  
"Some of the guys had brought beer with them," Nathan finished with a little enthusiasm. He watched as Haley lowered her eyes to look at her shirt, not being able to hold his gaze any longer. "Tim got plastered and ended up falling overboard."  
  
"And you being the awesome friend that you are, dove in to save him?" Haley smirked at the glint in his eyes. They both knew that Nathan wasn't as nice a guy as he was coming off today, it was obvious that he was usually a player. Nathan laughed and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
"When I was reaching over the edge to push him under, my arm got caught between the rocks and the boat." Nathan relaxed slightly when he saw a feel smile come to her face. Half of a real one was ten times better than a whole fake one. At the time of the accident, his arm felt like it was going to fall off, but seeing the genuine smile on Haley's sweet face suddenly made all the pain worth it. "I thought I'd heard the bone breaking, but it turns out it was just the boat rubbing against the rocks."  
  
"Ouch," Haley laughed. She gave him an apologetic smile, knowing that there was nothing funny about almost losing your arm. "That had to hurt." Nathan nodded his head, indicating that it really hurt. "I bet that sobered everyone up real quickly."  
  
"Oh yeah." Nathan looked up at Haley and they shared a smile. He carefully pulled his arm out of Haley's grip, not wanting her to think that it was anything personal. He just didn't think he could continue to think straight when she was touching him like that. "But it was awesome to have Tim as my slave for the rest of the month."  
  
"Why'd he do that?"  
  
"Oh, cause I told him that I was reaching over to save him." Never in his life did Nathan think he would be grateful for Tim smith's stupidity, but he was. Nothing wooed a woman faster than war stories. "He felt really bad about my elbow, especially when Whitey found out that I couldn't play basketball for a while. Not to mention how pissed off my dad got. Basketball is his life."  
  
"Don't get me started on horrible dads," Haley warned. For a moment, Nathan thought that she was angry, but when he looked up to see the light smile on her face, he relaxed some. He didn't know what he would do if he had offended her in some way. That was the last thing he wanted to do. "I'll clean you up on that front."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," he mumbled. He wanted to sound light and carefree like she did when she talked about it, but he always came off as enraged and frustrated. After looking down at him lap for a few more minutes, he finally looked up and caught her gaze. "How to you do it?" Haley looked at him strangely, raising a questioning eyebrow at his question.  
  
"What do you mean?" She had a feeling what he might be referring to, but she didn't want to make a fool of herself without being sure. If she was right, and he was asking about what she thought he was, she had no desire to discuss that right now. She was more than happy to stay in denial land; it was comfy and happy there. "What am I doing?"  
  
"You're talking about your father like he never did anything to hurt you," Nathan explained in a rushed voice. He knew that she wouldn't want to talk about it, but he was too curious to let it go. "I just don't understand how you can do that. I mean, I barely know you and I've never met the guy before, and I have to choke down the urge to track him down and kill him every time you talk about him."  
  
"Oh," Haley sighed in a low voice. This was exactly what she didn't want to be talking about. She shrugged her shoulders and gave him a sad smile. "You just get used to it, I guess. When you go through something like I have, you have to have some sort of sense of humor about it or I'd go insane."  
  
"Yeah, I guess," Nathan answered. Her answer did make sense, but he still hated it when she talked about him. Maybe it was because he felt some kind of primal need to protect her. He could see it in Brooke's eyes when she talked about Haley and he wondered if Haley would see the same look if she was looking hard enough.  
  
--**You may be deceived if you trust too much, but you will live in torment if you trust too little.--**  
  
"If you don't mind, I'd rather not talk about it," Haley asked in the most polite voice she could muster. The hurt look that crossed Nathan's face left as fast as it came, but Haley saw it. She felt bad that she couldn't trust him enough to talk about this, but she just wasn't ready. Truth be told, she may never be able to talk to him about her father.  
  
"Okay," Nathan replied. As much as it hurt him to know that she couldn't trust him, the rational part of his mind kept telling him that he had only known this girl for a day. How could he expect her to spill her heart out to him? He knew it was stupid to feel hurt, but he couldn't help it. He just wanted to help Haley so badly, that it sucked she won't let him in.  
  
"I'm just not ready..." she tried to explain. He shook his head, raising his hand to tell her that she didn't need to apologize for her feelings.  
  
"I completely understand." Haley could tell that he was slightly hurt, but it didn't change her mind. She nodded and looked around the room. They sat in silence for a few minutes, both unsure of what to say now. Before Nathan had a chance to make a subject change, his phone began to ring. He hesitated to answer it, not wanting to be rude. Haley motioned for him to get it.  
  
"Go ahead." He smiled uncomfortably at her and pulled his cell out of his pocket. He flipped it open and pressed it to his ear.  
  
"Hello?"  
  
"Hey, man," came his brother's voice on the other end of the phone. Nathan wasn't surprised to hear from him, he was almost the only person that ever called him other than the rest of the gang and he knew they were all busy. "What's up?"  
  
"Nothing," he answered in what he hoped was a cool voice. He knew that Brooke still hadn't talked to him since they left the Cafe last night and he was afraid that he was going to try and get answers out of him. "Where you at?"  
  
"Oh, I'm just down at the Rivercourt," Lucas told him. Nathan rolled his eyes, surprised that he didn't already know that. When Nathan and Brooke were unavailable, he was always playing with the guys down at his old hang out. "We just finished playing a game of twenty one?"  
  
"You win?"  
  
"You know it," Luke cheered. Over the past few years that he had gotten to know Nathan, it seemed that some of Nathan's cockiness had rubbed off on him. As much as he hated to admit it, Nathan thought his brother might even be better than him. "The guys are heading out, I was just wondering what you were up to tonight?"  
  
Nathan glanced over at Haley who was still looking around the room, pretending that she wasn't listening to the conversation. As much as he wanted to stay there all night with her, he knew that he was starting to overstay his welcome. They had talked about all they could talk about in one day and were starting to get uncomfortable. He didn't want to leave her, but he felt that if he stayed any longer the tension between them would just grow. Plus, he didn't want to be around when Brooke got home, he wasn't in the mood to be grill about whether her hit on her sister or not.  
  
"Brooke still not talking to you?" He couldn't help but rub it in. As happy as he was for his brother and his friend, he couldn't help but feel a little jealous of their relationship. Sometimes, he just wanted to stop with his wild ways and settle down, he just hadn't found the right girl yet. His eyes wandered to Haley and he smiled. Maybe he had.  
  
"Not yet," Lucas answered in a frustrated voice. He hated when Brooke got like that, when she came him the cold shoulder. Now that he thought about it, it always happened when he asked her about her father. "I tried her cell, but she's not answering. I don't know if she has it with her or if she's just not answering."  
  
"She said she had it with her," Nathan mused without thinking. He closed his eyes, realizing his mistake and sighed.  
  
"What are you talking about?" It wasn't that Lucas thought something was going on between his brother and girl friend, he trusted them both. It was just the fact that Brooke seemed to trust Nathan with her secret more than she trusted him. "Where are you?"  
  
"Look, I'll explain everything later," Nathan answered. He needed time to think over what he could say to Lucas. He was always a horrible lair. "I'll meet you at the Cafe in ten."  
  
"See ya." With that, the phone went dead. Nathan shut his phone and shoved it back in his pocket. He turned to Haley to make his attempt at explaining, but she cut him off.  
  
"Thanks for staying with me today," she said quickly, trying to get to her feet. She was kind of thankful that he was leaving; things weren't going well between them anymore. "I don't know what I would have done without you here."  
  
"I'm sorry to just leave like this," he spoke quickly as she started ushering him out of the living room. He felt a little relieved that she wasn't mad and that he wasn't the only one that had felt the awkwardness between them. Before he knew it, she had pushed him all the way to the front door. "My brother's really needy sometimes."  
  
"That's totally of the cool," she assured him. "Being the needy sister, I know what it's like. You should go be with him, spend some quality time, do the bonding thing."  
  
"You sure?" The only answer he got was a nod and the door opening. He got one last look at her before walked through the door. Before she had a chance to close it, he turned around and held it open. "Can I call you sometime? We could hang out again." Haley smiled at him, a genuine one this time.  
  
"You still gotta teach me how to play basketball one day, remember?" He laughed and smiled at her.  
  
"It's a date." Without thinking, moving only on instinct alone, he leaned forward and kissed her lightly on the forehead. Haley was caught off guard by the gesture, not used to being treating so loving by someone other than Brooke. She didn't know whether close her eyes or widen them in shock.  
  
Without another word, Nathan ran down the walkway and jumped into his car. With one small wave and a wink goodbye, he was gone. Haley remained frozen in her spot for another minute, staring after his car. She brought a hand to her forehead where his lips had just been and the brightest smile she'd had in two years came to her face.  
  
The smile, however, vanished as quickly as it came as she remembered her father. He used to be like that, sweet and loving. He had even kissed her on the forehead countless times when she was little. Then everything changed, he changed. He started yelling and screaming, throwing things and hitting her.  
  
All men start out sweet like that, but after time they turn into monsters. She couldn't do that to herself again. She had finally gotten free and she refused her go back. With a heavy sigh and a heavy heart, Haley walked back into the house and closed the door behind her.  
  
-OTH-  
  
That's all for now. I know that it doesn't look good, but you had to know that it wasn't going to be that easy. Haley needs to heal and get to know Nathan a little better and he needs to earn her trust. Anyway, please tell me what you think. Thanks.


	13. We’re Falling Apart to Half Time

Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long, but I'm back. School sucks. This chapter isn't the best, but I'm hoping it's better than nothing. Please, please, please, tell me what you think of it. I'm in desperate need of feedback. Enjoy.  
  
-OTH-

--**Reason to rule but mercy to forgive: The first is the law, the last prerogative.**--  
  
Haley's had never been more confused in her entire life. She had always been the sensible one, the one that understood everything. When she was given a problem in school, she worked it out, wrote it down and she was always right. In real life, however, things could not be answered so easily. She couldn't make up an equation, work it out with a calculator and figure it out on a piece of paper.  
  
In real life, she had her head and her heart eternally disputing which she should follow. Her heart was telling her one thing, that Nathan was a great guy, but her head was telling her that all men are monsters. If you had asked her two years ago, which she should trust, her head or her heart, the answer would have been her heart. If you asked her the same question now, she wasn't so sure.  
  
She was the type of girl that always liked to follow her heart. She knew that it should lead her to the right place in the end, but it never did. Throughout her life, whenever she followed her heart, she ended up coming up short. Every time she tried to do what she felt was right, she got burnt. She was sick for getting hurt.  
  
Haley had been hurt too many times in her life, by too many people. Everyone seemed to leave her and the one person she wanted to get rid of would never leave her alone. Her mother left her, her grandmother and most important her sister. Brooke may have kept in contact over the years, but it didn't change the fact that she left her.  
  
Haley would never call her sister on it, of course. She knew that Brooke already felt that this whole thing was her fault, and Haley had to admit that it was in some ways her fault, but she would never ever blame her for this. There was only person responsible for this happening and that was her.  
  
Before she could think about this anymore, she was brought out of her thoughts by a ringing phone. She knew it wasn't her cell phone since that was still in her bag, which was at the Café last time she checked. When she realized that it was the house phone, her first instinct was to answer it, but she stopped when she remembered that this wasn't really her home. Pulling her hand back, she sat and waited for the message. She smiled when the familiar voice for her sister picked up.  
  
"_What's up? You've reached the James residents. If you're looking for Grace, you might want to try her cell phone since she's never here. If you're looking for Brooke, that's me, you should try my cell too. If you're an annoying salesperson, I'll save you the trouble; we don't want any! Okay, so if you're still there, I'd suggest leaving a message is probably a sure bet. Later."_  
  
Haley smiled at the message. She had never heard that before since she always called Brooke on her cell phone so their mother wouldn't answer. She thought about just picking up the phone and calling, to hell if her mother answered, but she always chickened out at the last minute. She shook her head, trying to get rid of the sad thoughts that were swimming around in her mind. She really needed to stop thinking about the past, it was time to concentrate on the future.  
  
Once again, she was brought out of her thoughts, but this time it wasn't a ringing phone, but the person on that phone. Her eyes widened when she heard a less familiar voice fill the room, leaving her message.  
  
_"Brooke, I've told you countless times to change that message,"_ sighed Grace into the phone. She didn't know why it bothered her so much, no one that really mattered ever called the house, they knew her well enough to know that they if you wanted to get in touch with her to call her cell.  
  
"Mom," Haley gasped in shock. She slid over on the couch so she was pushed right up against the arm, ignoring the pain it sent through her stomach at the pressure. She reached to the table, pulling the message closer to her as if it would make her hear better somehow.   
  
_"I suspected that you wouldn't be home yet,"_ her mother continued, completely unaware that her other daughter was listening to her. _"After being dragged out of here by those waiters, I don't assume that you'll be home for awhile."_ Haley raised an eyebrow, confused at what her mother was referring to.  
  
"Waiters?"  
  
_"I just wanted to let you know that I forgive you for your little outburst at the restaurant earlier. You were emotional and you let your emotions get the best of you."_ Once again, Haley was lost. She tried to piece together everything, but couldn't figure it out. _"I understand that you miss your sister..."_  
  
"Of course," Haley mumbled. Brooke was kind of a mellow person; she didn't get upset over little things. In fact, the only thing she ever got pissed off about was when it came to Haley. So when she heard that Brooke flipped out, she should have realized it right away.  
  
_"I miss her too..."_ Haley didn't know what came over her, but it was like something inside of her just forced her to reach over to the phone. She grabbed it by the handle and pushed it to her ear.  
  
"No you don't," Haley hissed into the receiver. As soon as the words left her mouth, she regretted them. She had absolutely no desire to speak to her mother, so she didn't know what had made her to pick up the phone. She could hear her mother gasp in surprise on the other line. She wasn't sure if it was just general surprise that someone answered, or if she recognized her voice.  
  
"Haley?" her mother whispered, in a voice that could only be identified as either shock or scared. She couldn't decide which. Haley froze when she heard her say her name. She had to admit, she was surprised that after all these years, she still knew her voice. "Haley, is that you?"  
  
"Yeah, ma," Haley answered, finally finding her voice. She tried her hardest to keep the venom and hatred out of her voice, but she didn't think she did that great of a job. She let out a sigh. "It's me."  
  
"You're at home?" Grace asked. She was trying her hardest to process all this information. She hadn't talked to her daughter in over two years, only thought about her constantly and now she was having a conversation with her.  
  
"You're house, yeah," Haley clarified. Truth be told, she didn't know where she lived anymore. The only thing she was sure of was that she didn't live at her father's house anymore. As far as she knew, she lived there now, with Brooke. It didn't matter where she lived, she would always know where her home was and that's all that matters.  
  
"When did get there?" Grace cursed herself for being so stupid. She was finally getting the chance to do what she had been dying to do for years, and she was wasting it on meaningless small talk. They were mother and daughter of God's sake, this shouldn't be so hard to do. "Does Brooke know?"  
  
"Of course," Haley snapped. She took a breath and balled up her fists, trying to calm herself down. As much as she would love to have a mother that was there for her, it was never going to happen. No matter how much her mother tried from here on out, it would never be the same. Haley could never look at her the same way she did when she was little. Everything had changed when she walked out the door those years ago.  
  
"So," Grace began, gently, not wanting to get snapped at again. "I assume that's what brought on Brooke's sudden attack at me this evening?"  
  
"I'd presume." Haley couldn't suppress the smile that broke out on her face. She could just picture Brooke bitching their mother out in the middle of a restaurant; that would be priceless. She'd give anything to have been there. "What happened? You said something about Brooke being dragged out by waiters?"  
  
"That sister of yours is a crazy one," Grace comment and Haley could swear she heard her laughing softly. "We were in the middle of dinner and she just barged right into the restaurant. She started yelling at me about you. I was completely shocked."  
  
"That's Brooke for you," Haley replied, amused at the picture she was painting in her head. As funny as her mind was making this out to be, she knew that it had to have been funnier in real life. "I guess the waiters didn't find it as funny?"  
  
"Not in the least," Grace agreed, shaking her head even though Haley couldn't see her. She looked into the window at her table, which was one person short. Tony had left right after Brooke had been thrown out. He was not happy about being kept in the dark.  
  
"I wouldn't imagine." Haley shifted in her position, pulling her legs up to tuck underneath her so she was more comfortable in her seat. "I didn't send her, if that's what you're thinking. I was knocked out when she left."  
  
"I didn't think you did, Haley," Grace assured her. She was glad that she had caught herself before she called Haley 'honey' like she used to. She didn't think that name would be welcomed much at the moment. Grace turned back around and leaned against the wall with a sigh. "Some of the things she said, they were true."  
  
"From what I'm thinking she said," Haley begin, the angry she was feeling slipping back into her voice. "All of it was true." She honestly didn't expect her mother to admit to any of this, but it didn't change anything between them. It didn't erase the years of being ignored and neglected.  
  
"That probably is a more suitable statement." Grace felt her heart sink slightly when she heard the hard edge of Haley's voice. It was clear that nothing she said was going to make a difference. She had screwed up big time in her own selfishness and it had cost her both her daughters. "I'm so sorry for the way I've acted in the past couple of years. It was completely stupid of me and I regret it more than anything."  
  
"You know what?" Haley snapped, losing completely control. This was really the last thing in the world she needed to hear right now. "I thought that was what I needed to hear all these years, and it turns out it just makes matters worse. No matter how sorry you are for what you did, it doesn't erase any of the scars daddy has gave me. Nothing can do that."  
  
Grace felt like the breath had just been knocked out of her. She had heard it from Brooke countless times that Jimmy hit Haley, but there was still a part of her that didn't really believe it, she couldn't. But now, hearing it straight from Haley's mouth, it just made her feel a hundred times worse about the whole situation. She couldn't believe that she had just left her own daughter for dead like that.   
  
"You're right," Grace sighed, sadly. "I can't take back any of this and I can't make this better like I could when you were little." Grace paused and thought about what she could say next. "But you're in a really bad place right now, and you really shouldn't be alone. Let me be there for you now. Please? I want to make up for not being there."  
  
"No," Haley answered. She didn't even have to think about it for more than a second. She didn't need her mother. Hell, she didn't even want her mother around. If she came back now, it would only be out of sympathy and Haley hated her even more for that. "I don't need you."  
  
"Haley, you need someone..."  
  
"I have someone," Haley cut her off in a short, harsh voice. "Brooke. I've had her for my whole life, but especially over the last couple of years. She is all I will ever need, so you know what? You can go to hell, because you are nothing but an abandoning bitch that doesn't give a damn about anyone but herself."  
  
"Haley..."  
  
"Don't call here again," Haley warned her. She had said what she wanted to say and she had no desire to hear anything that came out of her mother's mouth. "Goodbye." With that, she slammed the phone back down in its cradle, the force of it causing the whole thing to crash to the ground.  
  
Haley jumped a bit at the noise it made, but didn't move. She sat in her spot, frozen, thinking over the conversation she had just had. She knew her mother was asking for forgiveness, she didn't need it, just wanted it. She kept her hands balled up and stare straight ahead, her body starting to shake as she fought back the tears that were fighting there way to the surface.  
  
--**We deceive ourselves when we fancy that only weakness needs support. Strength needs it far more.**--  
  
Brooke sighed in relief when she finally pulled into her driveway. It had been a long day. She had left early in the morning and now that she was back, it was almost pitch black outside. She was still mad at herself for leaving Haley alone with Nathan all day, but that guilt was lessened slightly when she thought about all the things she had said to her mother.  
  
As Brooke stepped out of the car, it was then that she just noticed Nathan's car was no longer in the driveway. The smile on her face quickly vanished, being replaced with a scowl. She shook her head, cursing herself for being as stupid as to leave her hurt sister alone with Nathan. She stalked towards the door and pulled the door open.  
  
"Baby?" she called out, not letting the anger in her voice show. She didn't want Haley to think she was mad at her. When she didn't get an answer, she ventured further into the house. "Hales-baby?" As she got closer to the living room, she could hear a soft crying.  
  
She raised an eyebrow and entered the room. All the anger she was previously feeling towards Nathan, completely vanished from her mind when she saw her sister crying softly on the couch. She slowly moved towards the couch, not wanting to scare Haley. Once she was there, she slowly sat down beside her sister. As soon as she was sitting, Haley leaned on her. She curled up and laid her head in Brooke's lap, letting her sister run her fingers through her hair.  
  
"Tigger?" Haley asked in a broken voice. Brooke closed her eyes, but it didn't stop the tears from spilling down her cheeks. Her face contorted as she looked down at Haley's shaking form in her arms,  
  
"I'm here, baby," she assured her, hoping that Haley didn't notice her voice was trembling. "Don't worry." Haley didn't say anything, just nodded her head slightly to show that she heard her and clung more to Brooke's pant leg. She didn't want Brooke to see her like this, she wasn't supposed to, but things just got out of hand. Sometimes emotions can't be contained.  
  
"I tried, Brooke," Haley cried. "I really did."   
  
"Tried what, sweetheart?"  
  
"I tried to be brave, to be strong like you," Haley explained, her voice shaking even more at ever word she said. Brooke shook her head, pulling Haley's trembling body closer to her. "I wanted to be strong, more than anything I wanted to be strong for you."  
  
"Oh, baby," Brooke sighed; not believing Haley was getting it so wrong. "No, baby, that's not true. You are the strongest person I know. God, everything you've been through, all the crap I wasn't there for. You are so brave, you have to know that." Haley nodded reluctantly. She wanted to believe Brooke's words; it would make her feel so much better.  
  
"I just need a little help sometimes."  
  
"That's what I'll always be there for," Brooke promised her. She made a mental contract with herself to keep this promise. She had made so many promises to Haley throughout their lives, but this one couldn't be broken. If she broke this one, that was it. They would both be lost forever.  
  
-OTH-

Officially lame, so I'm sorry. Please tell me what you think of it. I'm starting to get worried that you guys aren't into this anymore. Thanks.


	14. Then Slowly Grows A Little

Author's Note: Hey, all. I'm sorry that I didn't get this out last night, but I'm here now so that is all that should really matter right? Anyway, I'm giving you an extra long update, so I hope that makes up for it. Please tell me what you think. Enjoy.  
  
-OTH-  
  
--**I've developed a new philosophy... I only dread one day at a time.**--  
  
The rest of the weekend had gone by with little interruption. Grace did as she was told and didn't call again. Brooke couldn't tell if Haley was happy about that or sad. Brooke thought that at least on some level, Haley really did want their mother to call back, to try and be in her life, show that she cared. So, by not calling, she might be sending the completely wrong signal to Haley.  
  
Nobody else had come by the house the next day, deciding it would be best for the sisters to have some time alone to catch up or whatever. Brooke had grilled Haley about her day with Nathan, or tried to anyway. It seemed that Haley was more distant all of a sudden than she had been before.  
  
All Haley wanted to do was sleep, eat and watch TV. Every time Brooke tried to start up a conversation with her, she just grunted or told her she didn't feel like talking right now. At first Brooke was worried, but then she just figured Haley would open up to her when she was ready. What Haley had been through was something so horrible and traumatic, so it wasn't fair for Brooke to just assume she would talk to her.  
  
It was now Monday morning, a school day. Brooke thought that Haley would be scared about starting at a new school, or at least nervous, but she wasn't. Brooke couldn't tell what Haley was feeling. Usually, she could read her like a book with just one look, but Haley's face was completely void of any emotion and it was really starting to scare her.  
  
"Come on, baby," Brooke called up the stairs; one hand clutching the banister and her books in her other hand. School started at nine and she wanted to get there early so she could show Haley around. She looked at her watch a sighed. "It's almost eight, get your ass down here and let's go."  
  
"One minute," Haley yelled back, turning her head to the door before going back to looking at herself in the mirror. She ran an idle finger over the still fresh cut on er forehead. She stopped when she got a flash of doing the exact same thing the night she escaped. She did not need to go there right now.  
  
"What are you doing up there?"  
  
"Finishing my makeup." She had never really been a big fan of makeup; she always thought it made girls look like they were sluts. At least the ones she knew, since they always worn too much of it. She only started wearing makeup when he father started hitting her, and that was obviously for different reasons then the other girls.  
  
"You're beautiful," Brooke informed her, with a sighed. She really wanted to get to school early, and at the rate they were going, that wasn't going to happen. "Why do you have to wear makeup?" She knew she sounded whiny, but she couldn't help it. She was never a patient person.  
  
"I'm trying to cover this black eye," Haley snapped back at her. She hated being rushed, especially about something as stupid as school. She felt bad at snapping at Brooke, especially for playing the abused card. That was just low.  
  
"Oh," Brooke breathed. She suddenly felt horrible about rushing her sister. She never thought about that kind of thing, about people talking about why Haley was all beat up like that. She sighed and slumped her shoulders. She topped her books on the stairs and slowly climbed them and entered her room to find Haley sitting in the chair in front of the vanity mirror.  
  
"I'm sorry, Tigger," Haley confessed, handing the makeup to Brooke when she held out her hand for it. Brooke knelt down so she was at eye level with Haley and began to apply the cover up to where it was needed. "I didn't mean to snap at you."  
  
"Don't worry about it, sweets," Brooke replied with a wave of her wrist, signaling that it wasn't a big deal. She knew Haley was nervous, even if she didn't show it, and she certainly couldn't blame her. There was nothing more scary for a teenager than starting a new school. "I know you're just nervous, it's completely natural."  
  
"Maybe I'm a little nervous," Haley admitted, closing her eyes when motioned for her to do so. She didn't want to talk to Brooke about this because it seemed stupid to her, but now that they were there, she might as well just get it off her chest. After all, there were too many feelings she was hiding from Brooke right now, she needed to get at least one of them off her chest. "I've never started a new school before."  
  
"I have," Brooke reminded her, blowing lightly on her face a little to try and get the eyelash off that had fallen on Haley's cheek. "I know what it's like to be the new kid, it's not as bad as people think."  
  
"But you were always so cool about stuff like this," Haley argued. "You're so pretty and you were always popular. You were never self conscious like me." Haley opened her eyes when she knew Brooke was done. Brooke reached across her and put the makeup back in its place on the dresser.  
  
"Hey," Brooke began, taking Haley's hands and sandwiching them between her own. "Your twin sister is part of the most popular group at school. Nobody is going to mess with you." Haley rolled her eyes at the typical Brooke comment. That was exactly what she was afraid of.  
  
"Brooke," she stated, with a sigh. "I don't want people to pretend to like me because they're scared of you, or of Nathan, or Peyton or whatever. I kind of want to see if people talk to me without knowing of my relation to you."  
  
"You sure about that?" Brooke questioned. "Cause I can pretty much guarantee you a spot at the cool table." Haley laughed lightly, knowing Brooke was just kidding around. Her sister may sound shallow at times, but she really wasn't. If Brooke was shallow, she wouldn't care so much about Haley. She nodded.  
  
"I'm sure."  
  
"Okay," Brooke agreed. "But if anyone says something to you, I want you to tell them that you're my baby sister and I'm going to kick their ass. Got it?" Haley laughed again and nodded, standing up with Brooke.  
  
"Yeah." Haley pulled one of her hands free and grabbed her bag before following Brooke down the stairs. "Let's go." When they got to the bottom, Brooke quickly grabbed her books and they walked out the door.  
  
"This sucks," Brooke complained as they got in the car. Haley gave her a questioning look as she put on her seatbelt, carefully not to hit her ribs. "I was really looking forward to showing you off to everyone."  
  
"What am I?" Haley laughed as they backed out of the driveway. "Your trophy sister?" Brooke flashed her the best smile she had, her dimples on full display, and shrugged. Haley rolled her eyes and turned up the stereo.  
  
They got to school about five minutes later and Brooke pulled into her reserved spot, which was marked by a pole that was painted pink with a big sign on the top that read Princess Brooke on it. When Brooke turned off the car, Haley stepped out to inspect the sign. There was no way that was allowed.  
  
"Did you make this?" she asked, reaching up to knock on the medal sign. Brooke laughed as she shut the door. She grabbed her back from the backseat before joining her sister.  
  
"Are you kidding?" Brooke asked, eyeing the piece of art. "I had Luke make it for me in shop class." Deciding she didn't want to hear anymore about it, Haley shook her head, let out a light laugh and turned to make her way into the school. Brooke smiled at her sister's attitude and caught up with her, looping their arms together.  
  
"So, remember," Haley began as they walked passed the main entrance doors and into walked into the front of the school. "You are not to tell anyone that I am your sister. I don't want people kissing my ass just to impress you or something."  
  
"I got it, I got it," Brooke assured her. Normally, if it had been anyone else, Brooke wouldn't bother to promise anything, but Haley was asking her, and she could never deny Haley anything. "But you are sitting with me at lunch, I don't care what you say."  
  
"Okay," Haley sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with her sister. They rarely ever fought, but when they did, Brooke always won, mostly because she refused to give up. Brooke smiled victoriously, which Haley found both cute and annoying at the same time. Suddenly, a stray thought came to mind. "So, um, is Nathan on your lunch?"  
  
--**Our lives improve only when we take chances – and the first and most difficult risk we can take is to be honest with ourselves.**--  
  
"Yeah," Brooke answered automatically, without realizing what her sister was probably getting at. "In order to discourage cross-breading, they decided it made sense to put all the jocks and cheerleaders on the same lunch."  
  
"Cross-breading?"  
  
"Yeah, you know," Brooke replied. "The beautiful people should make babies with the beautiful people. The losers can make a heard of their own." Haley looked at her sister like she was insane for a moment before laughing. Even thought it was a mean and rude thing to say, she had to admit it was funny.  
  
"Call me crazy, but I somehow don't think that's really the reason you guys are all on the same lunch." Brooke rolled her eyes as she pulled open the door to the main office.  
  
"Okay," Brooke groaned, walking over to one of the chairs to wait for the principal to come out and greet them. "The basketball and cheerleading teams have third lunch cine we have early games sometimes."  
  
"That's more like it." Haley smirked at the dirty look Brooke shot her and playfully hit her on the arm before dropping down in the chair beside Brooke. Just as Brooke thought, there were no other students there yet. It wasn't until just then that Brooke finally processed the question that had started the explanation.  
  
"Why do you want to know if Nate is on our lunch?" She gave Haley a sharp look that told her she wasn't going to be accepting any half assed answers, she wanted the truth. Haley glanced at her quickly before looking at the ground. "Do you like him?" Haley thought long and hard about her answer before she opened her mouth.  
  
"No, it's just...we talked, you know," Haley answered, lying through her teeth. Like hell she didn't like him. She hadn't stopped thinking about him since he left their house on Friday. She could still almost feel his lips in her forehead and it was driving her insane.  
  
"About what?" Brooke questioned, that edge in her voice that Haley both loved and hated. She loved that Brooke cared about her that much, she really did, but on more than one occasion it's driven her insane. It's not that she blamed Brooke, she actually agreed with her, but she couldn't help but felt that it was none of her business.  
  
"Just stuff," she answered, still avoiding eye contact with Brooke. She didn't have to look at Brooke to know that she was waiting for an answer. She sighed, knowing Brooke wasn't going to like the answer she was going to get and didn't want to cause a scene in the middle of the office. "We talked about you, a little about mom and dad. Just how I'm feeling."  
  
"So you can talk to him but not me?" Brooke asked. Haley was surprised that her voice seemed to hold more hurt than anger at the moment. "You can tell a complete stranger how you're really feeling, but you lie to your sister about it?"  
  
"Lying?" Haley repeated, her voice wavering a bit. She thought she was doing a good job at hiding her true feelings, Brooke hadn't said anything yet and normally she would have confronted her as soon as she suspected something. "Brooke, what are you talking about?"  
  
"Come on, baby," Brooke sighed, completely exasperated. "I know you better than I know myself on most days. Do you think I'm blind or something?" Brooke leaned back in her seat to look at Haley. "I can see that you're not as happy as you're trying to make me think you are. I know you're lying about being okay."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"I'll admit that it bothers me that you can talk to him, and not me," Brooke confessed, the hurt creeping back into her voice. She took a deep breath and turned to look at Haley. "I guess I'm just wondering why? Did I do something, something that cause you to not trust me?"  
  
"No!" Haley exclaimed, quickly. She already felt bad enough for lying to Brooke about this; the last thing that she wanted was for Brooke to think it was something personal. "God, no. Tigger, that's not it at all."  
  
"Then what is it?" Haley looked at Brooke, trying to decide how much Brooke really needed the answer. It became clear when she saw the pleading look in her eyes. She sighed and slumped her shoulders.  
  
"I don't love Nathan," Haley began in a flat voice. "And he doesn't love me. But you, I love you more than anything and I know you feel the same about me. Sometimes it's good to just talk to someone that doesn't know me, someone who won't have any biased."  
  
"So it wasn't anything personal?" Brooke asked, her voice sounding hopeful. Haley gave her a reassuring smile and nodded. She reached over and laid a hand on Brooke's thigh.  
  
"Not in the least," Haley assured her. "I promise you that when I'm ready, I'll come to you." Brooke nodded. "What we talked about, it wasn't anything like what I would tell you, it was just, I don't know, the getting to know each other talk that lead to something more."  
  
"You didn't choose him over me?"  
  
"Are you kidding?" Haley asked as if it were the most ludicrous thing in the history of the world. "I'd never do that. You will always be the first one I run to. Always." Brooke waited a moment before letting a smile slip through. It still hurt a bit that Haley was covering things up, but she understood that Haley needed time.  
  
"Same to you." Before Brooke had a chance to say anything more, they heard a door open and turned to see the principal walking out of his office.  
  
"Miss James," he greeted, nodding his head in Brooke's general direction. He and Brooke had never really gotten along, but they could tolerate each other. "I didn't think you knew school was open before nine."  
  
"It's a pleasure as always, Mr. Chase," she smirked. She grabbed a hold of Haley's hand and they both stood up. "Actually, I'm just here with my sister, Haley. We called yesterday to arrange her enrollment?"  
  
"Ah, yes, of course," he answer with a nod and a more pleasant smile for Haley. He took a few steps forward and extended his hand. "It's nice to meet you Haley." Haley smiled at him and shook his hand, but didn't say a word. "I believe I have your schedule all printed up right here." He moved back to the secretary's desk and found the sheet he was looking for. He handed it to Haley, but Brooke snatched it before she could grab it.  
  
"Oh, we have two classes together," Brooke cheered. "Plus lunch of course."  
  
"Good," Haley breathed. She was feeling a lot less nervous now that she knew she would be with Brooke for half of the day. "What about my other classes? Anyone in those?" Brooke scanned the top of the sheet and tried to remember everyone's schedule.  
  
"Pey's in your first period art class," Brooke informed her. Haley nodded and smiled. She liked Peyton; she seemed really nice. "And I think Theresa and Jake are in this History, but I'm not sure. I know one of them is for sure." Haley nodded and took the sheet from Brooke to look over her classes. Nothing seemed too hard.  
  
"We tried our best to get you off to a somewhat easy start," Mr. Chase informed her, watching them talk over the schedule. They stopped looking at the sheet and glanced up at him. "I'll just take you into my office and go over all the rules and stuff like that."  
  
"Okay."  
  
"Then when classes start, you can get you're tour." Brooke's face lit up and raised her hand. Goofing around with her sister and getting out of class? Nothing could be more perfect.  
  
"That's my job, right?"  
  
"I think it would be best if we got someone else," he said sternly, eyeing Brooke with a glare. He didn't think it was the best idea to leave them alone together. He was positive they wouldn't do what they were supposed to be doing. Brooke pouted, but he was unaffected by it. "The students should be arriving soon, you might as well get going."  
  
"But..."  
  
"Say goodbye to your sister, Miss James." Brooke sighed, glaring at him and turned to Haley. She pulled her into a tight hug, hoping that the gesture would get rid of some of the nerves Haley still had left.  
  
"You gonna be okay?" Brooke asked, pulling back to look at Haley's face. Haley nodded her head, but remained silent. Brooke frowned and ran a soft hand over Haley's hair. "I love you, baby." She gave her a kiss on the forehead, just like Nathan had just a day before and completely pulled away from her.  
  
"Love you, too."  
  
"I'll see your cute little ass at lunch, missy," Brooke teased poking her in the stomach and backing up towards the door. Before she left, she threw another sweet smile in Mr. Chase's direction. "Bye, Mr. Chase." He rolled his eyes at her and gave a slight waved. She laughed, blew another kissed at Haley and was out the door leaving them alone.  
  
"I didn't think she had it in her," Mr. Chase commented, wanting to say anything to break the silence that had fallen over them. Haley tore her gaze from where Brooke had gone off in and regarded him with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"What do you mean?"  
  
"It's just, I've never seen her be so loving towards someone else," he explained, hoping he wasn't overstepping his bounds or offending her. "I thought it was sweet." Haley thought about what he said, trying to decide if it was appropriate or not.  
  
"I bring out the best in her." He smiled and nodded. After another moment of uncomfortable silence, Mr. Chase motioned for her to follow him into his office. They stayed in there for almost an hour, talking over all the rules and procedures. He gave Haley her locker number and anything else she would need. Once they were done, Mr. Chase excused himself to go ask the secretary for a list of students that owed some community service.  
  
"Donna," he asked, walking up to the busy secretary. She immediately stopped what she was doing to speak with him. "Do you have a list for community service students? I need a tour guide for a new student." She nodded and looked through her stuff.  
  
"Here it is, Mike," she answered, handing him the piece of paper. He smiled at her before looking it over. He was only at the tenth name when he heard the office door open. He looked up to find the student that was on the top of the list.  
  
"Hey, Mr. Chase," he greeted. "Just came to drop this off." He placed the folder on Donna's desk and moved to leave.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Scott," he called out. Nathan stopped and turned back around, wondering what he could have possibly done this time. He was always getting in trouble for no reason. He had a feeling it was because Mr. Chase hated his father.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"We have a new student," he informed Nathan. Nathan's eyes glazed over when he realized the he must be talking about Haley. "I realize that you probably don't want to do this since you're the most popular guy in school and all, but you need the community service hours and..."  
  
"I'll do it," he answered quickly, not even waiting for Mike to finish his question. Mike stopped and looked at him funny. Nathan Scott had never done anything that didn't benefit him in some way.  
  
"I didn't even finish the question."  
  
"I doesn't matter," Nathan insisted. "I'll do it." Mike looked at him strangely for another moment before nodding his head and motioning for Nathan to go into his office.  
  
"Okay, just go in there," he ordered, reaching over Donna's desk to grab the phone. "I'll just buzz down and inform your teacher what you'll be doing. You're in tech right now, right?" Nathan nodded before going into the principal's office. He felt his stomach start to do flip flops when he saw Haley sitting in the chair.  
  
"Fancy meeting you here," he greeted, leaning on the doorframe. Haley jumped at the sound of his voice and she let out a squeak. "Sorry, didn't mean to scare you." She didn't have to turn around to know it was Nathan.  
  
"It's okay," she assured him, sending him a smile as she turned around anyway. "What are you doing here? Wait, let me guess, you're giving me the school tour?" The cocky smirk that Haley had grown to love in just one day spread across his lips.  
  
"Lucky you."  
  
-OTH-  
  
That's all for now. Sorry it was so late, I got so side tracked and kept getting interrupted. Anyway, please tell me what you think. Thanks.


	15. All of Our Moves Make Up for the Silence

Author's Note: Hey, everyone. Thanks to those who replied, it means a lot to me. This chapter is all Brucas, well them talking not necessarily any action. Anyway, please enjoy this chapter and tell me what you think. Thanks.  
  
-OTH-

**--Come to the edge He said. They said: We are afraid. Come to the edge He said. They came. He pushed them, and they flew...--**

Brooke walked into her first period English class and frowned when she saw Lucas saving her a seat. For some reason he did that everyday, even though there was clearly no need for it. Every girl in school knew that Luke was hers and since they were all scared of her, they would never dare to sit beside him. Especially, if she was in the class with them.  
  
She gave him a small wave and moved slowly to her desk. He raised an eyebrow, surprised when she didn't say or doing anything. Usually she's all over him first thing in the morning. If he didn't know any better, he'd think she was avoiding him.  
  
"Brooke?" he tried in an attempt to get her to look at him. Granted, it was really loud in the classroom, but he was almost positive that she had heard him. "Brooke, come on, talk to me."  
  
"There's nothing to talk about, Lucas," Brooke sighed, giving him a glance to at least acknowledge her presence. It's not that she was mad at him, it was the complete opposite, she was mad at herself. She knew that he would be upset that she had been lying to him this whole time. She kept the most important thing her life a secret and she was feeling more than a little guilty about it.  
  
"How about the secret sister you didn't tell me about?" Lucas replied, a slight edge in his voice. Brooke knew he wasn't going to attack her about it; he would at least wait to hear her explanation first. She sighed, but didn't say anything. "We've been going out for over a year now and you just forget to mention that you have a twin sister?"  
  
"Just drop it, Lucas," she snapped. This was that last thing she needed right now. She was dreading this conversation enough as it was, but having it in front of all those people was only causing her to dread it more. With the way gossip gets around this school, if they got into a fight right now, everyone in the school would know about it. Not to mention that fact that Haley didn't want people to know they were related yet and she was sure that if they got in a fight over Haley, they would no doubt find out the truth.  
  
"I think I deserve a little explanation here," he shot back, trying his best to keep his voice level. He too knew the side effects of gossip and had no desire to be the subject of it. When she turned her head around further it just made him even angrier. There was nothing he hated more than when someone lied to him. "Brooke."  
  
"Leave me alone, Luke."  
  
"No," he stated. He reached forward and grabbed her arm, hoping that would get her to look at him. She let out a frustrated groan at the touch, but didn't look at him. Instead, she slipped out of her seat and walked toward the door. A few people looked at her strangely as she stormed past them before turning to Lucas. He wasted no time in getting up and following her. "Brooke, wait up!"  
  
"I thought I told you to leave me alone," she called over her shoulder, not slowing her pace at all. She knew Lucas wasn't going to leave her alone, he just never knew when to quit so there was no reason for this time to be any different.  
  
"I just want to talk to you," he called out in a less angry tone. He knew that he wouldn't get Brooke to stop if he was attacking her, so he decided it would be best to try and keep things calm. "Please, Brooke, just talk to me." Brooke started to slow her pace and eventually she came to a full stop not that far ahead of him.  
  
"Not out here," she answered as he approached her. He nodded, taking her arm in his hand and guiding her towards the library. There was no place in Tree Hill High that students went to less than the library. Brooke smiled internally, knowing that Haley would find that crazy.  
  
"We'll go in here," he informed her, even though he didn't need to since they were standing just outside the doors. Brooke had to admit, she was a little surprised that Luke even knew where the library was. She nodded as he held the door open for her and she walked past. Just like they suspected, it was empty. Brooke laughed lightly as she sat down at one of tables. Luke looked at her strangely as he took his seat. "What?"  
  
"It's nothing."  
  
"Really, what's so funny?" He really wanted to know what she was thinking because one minute she was pissed at him and the next she was laughing.  
  
"It's not really 'haha' funny, if you know what I mean," she answered as she smiled warmly at the bewildered expression on her boyfriend's face. "It's more, ironic funny."  
  
"Okay," he stated slowly, trying to understand what she was saying. "So what's so ironically funny?"  
  
"I was just thinking that Haley would love it in here," she answered, looking around the huge empty place. Haley had always enjoyed the public library back in their old home, so Brooke had a feeling that she might get some use out of this old dump. "It's just her kind of place. Full of books and quiet, she doesn't do crowds well."  
  
"Haley?" Lucas repeated, eyeing her. Brooke's eyes stopped wandering and landed on him. "She's your sister, right?"  
  
"Yeah," Brooke answered, laying her hands on top of the table. She hated having these kinds of conversations; she never knew what to do with her hands. "She's my twin sister. I figured Peyton would have told you that already."  
  
"She did," he nodded, scratching the top of his head. He, like Brooke, was not good at this type of thing. Neither of them liked to talk about their feelings, but it they wanted to get past this, they didn't really have a choice. "She didn't really tell us everything, just who that girl was..."  
  
"Haley," Brooke clarified, her voice sounding annoyed. "Her name is Haley, not 'that girl', okay?" Lucas looked taken aback at her attitude. He had never seen her change moods that quickly before. "It's not that hard to remember."  
  
"Haley, okay, I got it," he assured her, holding his hands up in a surrendering fashion. The last thing he wanted was to get Brooke mad at him. At first he was pissed off at her for keeping this from him, but he could tell by the look in her eyes that this was a really difficult subject for her. "It'll never happen again."  
  
"Thank you." Brooke sighed when she noticed the sorry look on her boyfriend's face. "Look, Luke, I'm really sorry that I kept all of this room you, I really am. It wasn't about lying to you, I just didn't want to talk about it."  
  
"I just don't fully understand the situation," he admitted. The annoying sound of the school bell filled the room, signally they were late for class. Neither of them moved from their chairs; not caring in the least that they were going to be late. It certainly wouldn't be the first time.  
  
"What don't you understand?"  
  
"How you have a twin," he answered with a sigh. Brooke smiled at him.  
  
"Well you see, Lucas," she began, giving him a childish smile. Seeing the smile on her face put Luke at ease somewhat. "When a man and a woman love each other, or in our parent's case, get completely smashed, they end up having what professionals like to call wild monkey sex."  
  
"I think I've heard of that," he replies with a smirk. He was glad to see Brooke in more of her normal mood. She was smiling and that always made Luke feel better. He loved her smile. "I think we've had that."  
  
"That we have, Broody," she confirmed. She giggled a little bit when she saw the look of lust cross his face and she playfully hit his hands.  
  
"Seriously, though," he continued and the smile immediately disappeared from her face. "I don't get how you could possible have a twin sister that I don't know about."  
  
"It's simply really," Brooke answered. She hated telling this story; it was so hard for her to retell having to leave her sister like that. Hopefully, though, since she planned on leaving the abuse part out of it, it wouldn't be as hard. "You wanna hear the story?"  
  
--**This above all; to thine own self be true**--  
  
"I've got time." He didn't, really. They both had class that they were currently supposed to be in, but missing English was really the last thing on their minds. "And you know I'm always open for a good story."  
  
"Well, I don't know how good it is, but I'll tell you anyway." Brooke sighed and tried to think of where to start. "Okay, so we're all clear on how twins are made right?"  
  
"Yeah, I got that."  
  
"So, I guess I'll skip ahead fourteen years," she mused. She brought a hand up to her head and ran a hand through her hair. "I'm gonna try my best to make this as short as possible."  
  
"You don't have to..."  
  
"No, it's easier for me if I make this short," Brooke assured him. If she had to sit there and tell him every little detail of Haley's life, she would more than likely go completely insane. Lucas nodded. "Just to make this completely clear, both of my parents are bitches and I hate them more than I hate Avril Lavigne."  
  
"Whoa, I didn't think it was possible to hate something that much," Lucas said, genuinely surprised. If there was one thing he was certain of in this world, it was that Brooke Davis absolutely and completely despised Avril Lavigne. So for her to hate someone more than she hated her, that was saying a lot.  
  
"Well, I do," Brooke admitted. "Compared to them, Avril is like my best friend."  
  
"Ouch."  
  
"Yeah," she sighed. "Anyway, two years ago, right before I moved here, our parents got a divorce. They were always fighting so it wasn't really much of a surprise that they finally got completely sick of each other."  
  
"So you were happy about it?" Lucas asked. He couldn't remember ever hearing of someone being happy about their parents ending a marriage.  
  
"At first, yeah," Brooke answered. "We were both just so happy that we wouldn't have to listen to them fight and argue anymore, it was unbearable on a good day."  
  
"That must've sucked." Brooke nodded.  
  
"It was probably the cleanest divorce in the history of the world," Brooke retold. She thought back to how things went back then. She couldn't remember there being one argument throughout the entire ordeal. "I've never seen them agree so much about so many things. The only thing they disagreed on was custody of us."  
  
"I think I know where this is going," Lucas informed her. He might not be the smartest guy in the school, but he did have some common sense. Brooke gave him a sad half smile and nodded. Sensing that she could use the comfort, he reached over and covered her hands with his.  
  
"The judge, being the horrible bitch that she was decided that it would be easiest for her to just split us up and each parent got a kid."  
  
"That sucks," Lucas deadpanned. There was no other way to say it, it really did suck and there was no point in trying to deny it. Brooke laughed lightly at his bluntness and nodded her head, thinking that truer words had never been spoken.  
  
"It really does," Brooke agreed wholeheartedly. She shook her head, hoping to get all of the negative thoughts out of her head. "I still remember the last night at my old house, me and Hales were crying the entire night. Just the thought of not being together all the time anymore, it killed us both, but I think it was the fear of leaving her behind with him that really got me."  
  
"I take it your dad isn't going to be winning father of the year anytime soon?" Lucas didn't need her to say it, he could tell by her body language and the tone in her voice what happened between Haley and their father. Not to mention it does explain why Haley was all beat up the other night.  
  
"He makes your dad look like Bill Cosby," Brooke informed him. Dan Scott, Luke and Nathan's father was well known in Tree Hill, but certainly not in a good way. Everyone knew of the history between him and their mothers; Deb and Karen and because of that, everyone knew about the problems with both his sons.  
  
"And that says a lot," Luke agreed. He always thought he had the worst dad in the world, but if he were right about Brooke's father hitting Haley, then he would be the first in line to admit he was wrong. "For what its worth, and I know it's close to nothing, I'm sorry you had to live with all of that."  
  
"I didn't have to live with it, Haley did," Brooke corrected. She knew that this experience was hard on her, hell it was horrible, but there was no denying the fact that Haley had it about a million times worse. "But the thing is, I'm not sure how she's living with it."  
  
"What do you mean?" Luke asked, raising an eyebrow at her in questioning. Brooke sighed, not knowing whether she should be talking about this with him or not. Then she realized that he was the best person to be talking to him about this. Lucas loved her and he was a very perceptive guy, she was sure he would have some answers.  
  
"I don't know," she sighed, slumping into the chair further. "I mean, she says she's fine, but I know for a fact that she's not, you know because there is no possible way she could be fine with everything that just happened to her."  
  
"It does seem unlikely," Lucas added in, hoping to help. He knew she was counting on him for answers, but he wasn't sure if he was going to be able to give her any. This kind of thing was completely foreign to him, thank God.  
  
"I called her on it this morning, not even an hour ago and she didn't deny it." She had said she understood Haley in the office earlier, but she didn't really. No matter what Haley said or did, Brooke was still hurt that she talked to Nathan over her. "She said that she wasn't ready to talk to me about it, but get this, she talked to Nathan about it."  
  
"Now when you say Nathan..." Lucas asked, letting his question hang in the air. He didn't feel it needed to be finished. Brooke frowned and nodded her head in a defeated sort of way.  
  
"Your brother," she confirmed. He had to admit, he wasn't completely surprised, when they meet up that afternoon after Nathan had hung out with Haley all day, it seemed that all he could talk about was Haley and how great she was. "Yeah, she tried to feed me some crap about not loving him and it being easy because of that... I don't know, it just doesn't seem fair, you know?"  
  
"Yeah, I know, sweetie." He had made the mistake of calling her baby once, but he remembered never to do it again when she politely asked him not to call her that. Since that was her little thing with Haley, she didn't feel comfortable sharing that with Luke. Haley was her baby, she wasn't Luke's. "Do you think she was lying about why she opened up to him?"  
  
"I don't think so," Brooke sighed. She thought about it and she couldn't imagine Haley lying about something like that. "I mean, I have always been able to tell when she's lying and I know she wasn't this morning, but I..."  
  
"What?"  
  
"Even if she didn't mean to hurt me, it still hurts just the same." She hated that she was making this about her, but she couldn't help it, she couldn't control the way she was feeling. "I've always been the one that she came to when she had a problem, even after I moved, I was always first, then all of a sudden Mr. Big Shot came along and I'm chopped liver."  
  
"So that's what's really bothering you," Lucas mused, a knowing smile on his face. She looked at him in confusion and raised a perfectly plucked eyebrow at him. "It's not just that she went to Nathan first, it's that she went to him at all. You don't want anything to happen between them."  
  
"Of course I don't," Brooke exclaimed, pulling her hands out from under his. She let out a huge puff of air and let her arms fall to her sides. "I know how he works and falling for a player like Nathan is just about the last thing that Haley needs right now."  
  
"You think he would play her?"  
  
"Yeah, I really do," she admitted. She knew Lucas hated it when she complained about his brother, but if she was supposed to be getting things off her chest then she was getting it all out. "I know you love your brother and all, but I swear to whatever God there is, if he hurts her I will kill him."  
  
"He's not going to," Lucas tried to assure her. "I've heard the way he talks about her, I've never seen him like that." Luke had to smile at the memory of how dopey his brother had acted that day. "Trust me, he's not gonna hurt her. She must have put some kind of spell on him, but I'm telling you, he's hooked."  
  
"I'm not going to worry any less," Brooke told him, wanting to make sure that he knew she was still going to be watching Nathan. "Haley means everything to me and when someone hurts her I turn vicious. I don't think Nathan wants that."  
  
"Calm down, honey," he laughed, amused at the scowl on her face. It was hard for him to picture Brooke getting vicious with someone. "Besides, you might not even have anything to worry about."  
  
"How do ya figure?"  
  
"Maybe Haley doesn't feel the same," he pointed out. As if being able to read each other's minds, they both stood up at the same time and started walking towards the door. "What she went through with your dad is something huge, I'm sure she's not interested in having a relationship with someone."  
  
"No," Brooke shook her head, slipping her hand into his as they walked through the doors and into the empty hallway. "I can see it in her eyes, she's into him. And if she's anything like me, which by the way she is, pretty soon she'll be completely fallen."  
  
"So what are you saying?"  
  
"It's only a matter of time," she sighed. As much as she wished it wasn't true, she couldn't fight the horrible feeling in her gut that Haley was going to get hurt because of this crap. Nothing good can ever come out of love, people always end up hurt in someway and Brooke knew Haley couldn't survive that. Not now, and maybe not ever.  
  
-OTH-  
  
That's all for now. Nothing much to say, except that they next chapter will be full of Naley goodness. As you can tell by the title, that this chapter is a two parter so hopefully the next update will be up soon. Please tell me what you think, and thanks for reading.


	16. The Girl All the Boys Want to Dance With

Author's Note: Hey, all. Here's the next chapter for all of you who want it. Please, tell me what you think so I know that you guys are still interested. Thanks and enjoy.  
  
-OTH-

**--The only thing that makes life possible is permanent, intolerable uncertainty; not knowing what comes next.—**

After getting stern instructions from Mr. Chase not to go outside the school, Nathan and Haley left the office once the bell rang to start the tour. Surprisingly enough, there has been very little talk between the two, as both of them were lost in their own thoughts about the situation.  
  
Haley wasn't exactly sure about what she was feeling. In fact, she has never been so unsure about anything in her entire life. Haley was used to being in control of situations like this because she was so used to being alone and not having to deal with her different feelings or emotions towards other people. She could honestly say that she had never had any feelings towards a person of the opposite sex, so she was more than a little confused at the moment.  
  
On one hand, she felt surprising comfortable around Nathan, which probably shocked her more than it did him, but on the other hand – she just wasn't ready. She thought that Nathan was a really great guy and she could totally picture herself having a relationship with him sometime done the road, but when she thought about doing that now, she knew it was the wrong choice.  
  
Nathan was feeling confused for different reasons than Haley. Nathan Scott was a famous player in Tree Hill, he was known all around, so for him to feeling this way towards a girl was completely new territory for him. He wasn't used to feeling this way about girls, mostly because he never stuck around long enough in a relationship to get to know the girl. The only serious relationship she had ever had was with Peyton and that ended with them being much better as friends.  
  
He couldn't believe the hold that Haley had over him. It was almost as if she had tied a rope around him and kept pulling him towards her whenever she needed him. There was just something about her that drew him in. He wasn't sure if it was the way her eyes told him exactly how she was feeling, or the way her nose crinkled up in the cutest way when she laughed... either way, he was a goner.  
  
"So, ah, what was your locker number again?" Nathan asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that had fallen between them. They were currently wandering down an empty hallway, passing all the closed doors as they walked.  
  
"Oh, um, I don't remember," Haley replied nervously. "I wrote in down somewhere, I'll check."  
  
"Okay," he mumbled, distracted as he watched her. She dropped her bag to the floor and knelt down to search through her books. By the way she was leaning over, Nathan couldn't help but notice that he could see down her shirt.  
  
"I think it's in here," she mumbled more to herself than to Nathan. As much as he wanted to be a gentleman and look away, he was still a guy and couldn't help but take a peek. What he saw sent a shiver up his spine, but not in a good way. His stomach began to toss and turn as his eyes locked on all the bruises on her chest from her father's rough hands. "Here it is!" She cheered, glancing up at Nathan to find a strange look on his face.  
  
"You found it?" he asked, but didn't look at her. He couldn't stand to see the bruises on her pretty face. He noticed them before since the makeup couldn't cover all of it, but he was able to ignore it because it wasn't that bad. Now after seeing the extent of her injuries, he was afraid that if he looked at her sweet face all banged up like that, he wouldn't' be able to suppress the urge to take her in his arms and never let go.  
  
"Uh, yeah," she answered in a confused voice. She quickly zipped up her bag and slowly stood up, slipping it over her shoulder as she went. She held up the ripped piece of paper that had numbers on it. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah," he answered quickly, coming to his senses. He saw the look on Haley's face and he could tell that she didn't buy it. He shook his head and gave her a smile that he hoped was convincing enough. "I just felt sick for a second there, I'm better now."  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Positive," he assured her. She looked at him strangely for another moment before nodding, deciding that she wasn't going to get any information out of him. Jumping on the action, he quickly took a step forward. "So what number did you get?"  
  
"1063," she read out with a shrug, clearly having no idea what it meant. By the look on his face, she could only assume that he knew where that was. "You know it?"  
  
"It's just down this way." He pointed down the hall that they were just about o walk down and started walking there, Haley just a few steps behind.   
  
"Is your locker near there?" she asked in what she hoped was a casual tone. She didn't want him to know that she wanted his locker to be near her's, she didn't want him to know that she wanted to spend time with him and she certainly didn't want him to know what she was thinking about doing to him right now.  
  
"Brooke's is," he answered her, turning the corner to go down the hallway the locker was in. "Right beside yours actually, since it's alphabetical order. I'm Scott so I'm across the school with Luke, Pey and Tim."  
  
"Oh, that's cool," she replied trying to sound like she wasn't disappointed. It seemed, from what Brooke said, that she and Nathan didn't have any classes together so she would only get to see him at lunch. At least having his locker near her's would mean they'd run into each other a few times a day.  
  
"Brooke will be happy though," he commented as he spotted the number they were looking for and stopped beside it.  
  
"Why's that?" She slid her bag off her shoulder and unzipped it to get her books out. Nathan, being the gentleman that he can sometimes be, opened the metal door for her with a smile. She laughed and piled her binders on the top shelf.  
  
"She'll finally have a locker buddy," he answered, watching her sort through her papers and try to find her lock. He grabbed the lock on the door beside Haley's and started doing the code. He knew it was Brooke's locker and he knew her combination because she was using Luke's old gym lock.  
  
"What's a locker buddy?"  
  
"Just someone to walk with her to get her books after lunch," he answered. "She gets so mad when we all go to our lockers. I mean Jake's is supposed to be around here, but he shares a locker with Peyton." He spun the lock to the last number and smirked victoriously when it opened. He took it off and pulled open the door to reveal a collage of pictures all over the inside of the locker.  
  
"What a brat," Haley asked, thinking that it was totally typical of her sister to get mad over something that was that unimportant. She shoved her last book in and shut the door, snapping the lock back on and zipping up her bag. She slid it back over her shoulder and turned to Nathan only to find him examining all the pictures. "When did she find the time to do that?"  
  
"Who knows," Nathan mumbled, busy staring at the picture of Haley and Brooke from back when they were younger. He was surprised that he never noticed that before when he looked at the pictures. It was the only one of Haley so he never really felt the need to question her on who the girl was, but he had never realized that it was dead in the center.  
  
"I remember that," Haley commented, noticing what picture Nathan's gaze was settled upon. She smiled at picture, remembering that day perfectly. "That must have been almost three years ago. Yeah, it looks like it's our fourteenth birthday."  
  
"Cool," Nathan replied, snapping out of the trance that the picture had on him. He shook his head and quickly closed the door, putting the lock on it and turning to Haley. He nodded his head forward, indicating that they should get moving if they wanted to get the tour done before first period ended. "You look the same."  
  
"If you say so," she laughed. She couldn't disagree with him more about that. When she looked at that picture, she saw the genuine smile on her face or the sparkle in her eyes and she knew that she was a completely different person than that girl in the picture. She used to be happy back than, and that showed in the picture.  
  
"I just did, didn't I?" Haley chuckled and bumped her hip into his, ignoring the slight pain that shot up her side from her still damaged ribs.  
  
"So, what were you like at fourteen?" she asked, genuinely curious. She looked at his face and decided that he was the kind of guy that had always been good looking and popular with both the guys and the girls. "Still the smartass you are now?"  
  
"You better believe it," he laughed, throwing an extra cocky grin in her direction to prove his point. "I was pretty much the same as I am now, I guess. I was never one to evolve over the years." She didn't know what to take from that. In a way she thought that he sounded kind of bitter about that fact.  
  
"Is that a good thing or a bad thing?"  
  
"I'm not sure," he answered. He couldn't help but feel a sort of sadness wash over him when he thought back to what he was like three years ago. He was exactly the same then as he was now and that kind of depressed him. What did that say about him and his personality when he doesn't grow up at all over the span of three years? "Why don't you tell me."  
  
"I like you just the way you are," she replied with a shy smile. She wasn't sure why she was doing this. She knew she was flirting with him and, judging by the cocky grin that was still on his face, Nathan knew it too. She didn't want to flirt with him, that would be leading him on and she didn't want to have to hurt his feelings or bruise his ego in any way. "So, um, where's the library in this place?"  
  
"It's upstairs," he answered, more than a little surprised at the sudden change in subject, but he certainly wasn't complaining. "You wanna go check it out?"  
  
"Yeah."   
  
"Okay," he agreed, nodding his head. "I can show you where the gym is on the way up." Haley knew that would come in handy, knowing where the gym was since Brooke was her ride home and Brooke apparently had cheerleading practice every other day of the week.  
  
"Good idea." As soon as they rounded the corner, a bright sign hanging on the wall caught both their eyes. Haley groaned as she read it, she hated events like this. "Oh, God, a dance. I hate those things."  
  
"You do?" Nathan asked, genuinely surprised. Haley was a girl, a James girl at that, he thought they all loved dances. It was an excuse to buy a new dress and shoes.  
  
"Oh, yeah," Haley sighed, nodding her head empathically. She caught the knowing look on his face and couldn't help but let a smile slip through. "Okay, so maybe I'm a little bitter about never getting an invite, but that has nothing to do with it."  
  
"I completely believe you," he teased her. She mocked leered at him before sticking her tongue out and walking through the door that he was holding open for her. He laughed at her and followed after her, walking up the steps beside her.  
  
"Shut up," she shot at him lamely. He shook his head, knowing that she wasn't really mad about it. They walked in silence the entire way up. When they were out of the stairwell and walking down the hall towards the library, Haley glanced up at Nathan. "So, are you going to this little shindig?"  
  
"Shindig?" he repeated, amused at her choice in words. She glared at him for trying to avoid the question and he sighed, slumping his shoulders. "We kinda have to go, you know. Since I'm on the basketball team and all, it's expected. We all actually get our tickets for free."  
  
"Really? That's kind of cool."  
  
"Yeah," he mumbled. He glanced over at her quickly to see what she was doing it. He frowned when she was just staring ahead of her. He thought about what to say to her, how to go about asking. He really liked her and that was a new feeling for him. He shoved his hands in his pockets like he always did when he was nervous and took a deep breath, trying to gather up all his courage. "We can, um, actually bring a date with us..."  
  
Haley's stomach dropped to her feet as she realized what he was asking her. She should have known this was going to happen when she brought up the conversation about the dance. He was asking her and she wasn't going to be able to give him the answer he wanted.  
  
"Nathan..."  
  
"Did you maybe want to go with me?" he finished in a quick rush. He knew that he attempt at an interruption didn't exactly mean the best for his chances at a positive answer, but he couldn't ignore the way she was acting around him. He knew she was into him, he could tell.   
  
"Nathan," she began. "I would love to go to the dace with you, but..."  
  
"But," he stated in a somewhat bitter tone. Her shoulders dropped and she looked up at him like he was a wounded puppy. She felt terrible enough about this as it was, but the look on his face just made things harder.  
  
"It's nothing personal," she insisted. "I'm just not ready to go out on a date right now. I just ran away from a man that has made my life a living hell for years, my body is covered in bruises and scars, I'm starting a new school... it's just all too much for me right now. Can you understand that?"  
  
"Yeah, sure, whatever," he mumbled under his breath. This was the first time he had even out himself out there like that and it hurt that he got burnt on his first try. He ran hand through his hair and looked down at her.  
  
"Nathan..."  
  
"Uh, the library's right around the corner," he cut her off, pointing to the row of lockers that were just a few feet in front of them. "And you're art class is just down that hall way so you should be able to find it on your own."  
  
"Nathan," she tried, grabbing his arm as he turned away. "Come on, don't be like that."  
  
"I'm sure Peyton can tell you where you're next class is." He shrugged off her hand and started walking back to the stairs. When he was at the doors, he turned back to find her standing in the same spot, just staring after him. "I'll, uh, see you at lunch, I guess." He gave her a sad smile and pushed the doors open before walking through them, leaving Haley alone.  
  
--**Laugh at yourself first, before anyone else can.**--  
  
"Baby?" came the voice from behind her. Even thought she already knew who it was, she turned around to find Brooke and who she could only assume was Lucas walking towards her.  
  
"Hey, Tigger," she replied in a sad voice. Brooke caught it right away and shot Luke a worried glance before pulling away from him and moving towards her sister.  
  
"What's wrong, baby?" she asked, tracing her thumb over the bruise that was starting to make a reappearance on Haley's forehead. She could feel Lucas walking up behind her so she knew that Haley wasn't going to be in the mood to share. Just as she thought, Haley shook her head, giving her a look that told her she's spill when they got home and Brooke nodded.  
  
"It's nothing," she answered for Luke's benefits. "I'm good." She gave Brooke a reassuring smile that Brooke saw right through before turning to Lucas. "You must be the famous Lucas Scott."  
  
"I didn't know I was famous," he replied with a warm smile. Haley decided quickly that she liked him. She wasn't sure what it was, but he gave off some kind of vibe about him, like she could tell that he would always be there for you, just like his brother.  
  
"To me, you are," she answered, giving him a wink. She leaned into Brooke, who wrapped an arm around her waist in return. "He's a cutie. You should defiantly keep him around." Brooke laughed at the comment and the look on Luke's face.  
  
"You hear that Broody?" she teased. "You got the official Haley James Stamp of Approval, so I guess you're a keeper." The girls shared a laugh at the embarrassed look on his face and for a moment, Haley felt whole again. Nothing made her feel better than laughing with her sister.  
  
"We'll as much fun as this is," Lucas said sarcastically. "We better get back to class, honey." Brooke ignored his comment to look at Haley.  
  
"You want us to walk you to class?"  
  
"Sure," Haley answered in a bright voice. She felt terrible for the way things went with Nathan, but she was starting to feel better about it. She could talk it out with him later. "I think it's just down that hallway." Brooke linked arms with her and they started walking down the hallway, Lucas trailing closely behind.  
  
It was weird for him to see his girlfriend acting like this, so happy and perky. It's not that she was depressed or anything, she was actually one of the most cheery people he knew, but it all seemed like an act of some sort. Now though, it seemed one hundred percent genuine and he could only believe that it was because she had been reconnected with her other half.  
  
"Here you are my lady," Brooke said once they were right outside the door to Haley's art room. Brooke reached out and started fussing with Haley's shirt like a mom that was sending her kid off to his first day of school. "Now have fun and don't talk to strangers."  
  
"Okay," Haley laughed. "I'll try to remember that." Brooke smiled and winked at her, before giving her a big kiss.  
  
"See you at lunch, baby," Brooke said, giving her a slap on the ass. "Love you lots." She took Luke's hand and skipping down the hall, dragging Luke with her. She watched after them for a minute with a smile, before taking a deep breath and knocked on the door. A few moments later, the door opened to reveal a tall man who Haley assumed was the teacher.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Um, I'm new here," she answered in a nervous voice. "I was put into your class. I have my schedule if you want to see it." The teacher shook his head and moved aside so she could enter.  
  
"Just take one of the empty seats," he instructed her before walking back over to his desk, leaving her standing alone in front of the class. She scanned the room and sighed in relief when she spotted Peyton waving her over. She quickly shuffled her feet towards her.   
  
"Hey, Haley," Peyton greeted, moving her bag off the chair beside her so Haley could sit down. Haley smiled at her and sat down. She looked around the room to find that no one was still looking at her like she had expected. Maybe things wouldn't be so bad after all.  
  
-OTH-  
  
That's all for now. I hope you guys liked it. Please tell me what you think. Thanks. I'll repost some spoilers for you guys.  
  
- a scene in the café  
- more invites to the dance  
- tension between Naley  
- the dance  
- Daddy Dearest  
  
PS: Please reply so I know you guys are getting bored with this cause I promise there is much more drama to come. Thanks


	17. Let Me Tear You to Pieces

Author's Note: Hey, everyone. Sorry it's been so long, I got caught up in other things, namely homework, but I'm here now so that's all that matters. Since I live in good old Canada, I'm not exactly sure how the American school system works. We're on a semester system, dour classes a semester so that's what I'm gonna do in the story. If it's confusing to anyone, I'm sorry. Anyway, please enjoy.  
  
-OTH-

--** The soul that is within me no man can degrade.--**

Haley was a little surprised at how fast the school day had gone by so far. She had already finished up three of her classes and was now on lunch. She was sitting alone at the lunch table Brooke had told her to sit at, waiting for her sister or her sister's friends to come join her. Brooke said that they might be a little late since they had to do something for cheerleading/basketball, but not to worry. She was to sit at their regular table and wait for them.  
  
Haley's first period art class had been fun. The teacher wasn't feeling well today, so he basically gave them a free period to do whatever. Most of the students chose to use the time to finish various art projects or other schoolwork; Peyton and Haley decided to talk. At first Haley wasn't too sure about it, since Peyton was pretty much the only other person besides Brooke that knew the entire story about her father.  
  
They had talked about almost everything; save her father since there was a good chance that someone would overhear them. Peyton told her about her relationship with Jake and Jenny, how she meet Brooke and about her mother's death. Haley provided her with a lot of answers that Peyton had been wondering over the weekend about her relationship with Brooke and how they ended up being separated. All in all, Haley was really starting to like Peyton; she could see why Brooke was such good friends with her.  
  
Haley was more than a little relieved to see that Brooke was in her next class, which was English. Luckily for her, she once again wasn't forced to introduce herself in front of the class, the teacher just told her to take a seat anywhere so she could get on with her lesson. Being the great sister that she was, Brooke had kicked Tim out of the desk beside her so Haley could sit there.  
  
The work had been easy enough since she was so smart, and once she was done she helped Brooke out with her's. She was introduced to Tim and actually found him to be kind of cute. He was no Scott brother, but he was good looking in a dorky horn dog kind of way. After class was done, Brooke had told her that she had never seen Tim being so polite before.  
  
Nothing too exciting happened in History class. Unfortunately, the teacher of that class wasn't as nice as the other two, and he assigned her a seat. She ended up getting the seat in front of Jake and Theresa so it wasn't that bad. They talked some, but not as much as she talked to Tim and Peyton.  
  
Haley looked around at all the teenagers around her, most were completely ignoring her presence, but there were a few blondes that were looking at her strangely. Deciding to just ignore them, her eyes wandered to the door. She looked over just as Nathan came wandering into the café. Out of routine, Nathan made his way over to their regular table, but stopped when he spotted Haley sitting there.  
  
Nathan knew that he was being immature for sulking over what happened that morning. He knew he shouldn't have asked in the first place, but his ego had still taken a major blow. He had never been turned out before, usually girls practically begged him to ask them out, but not Haley, she was different.  
  
The other girls that Nathan went out with, they didn't mean anything to him, they were just a way to spend the night. For the first time in his life, Nathan could honestly say he saw himself having a future with a girl, and she rejected him like he didn't matter to her. He understood that Haley had just been through a lot, but what could going to one dance hurt?  
  
He locked eyes with Haley as he stood in the middle of the café. He held her gaze for a moment before he dropped his eyes and plopped down at a different table with a bunch of guys wearing letterman jackets. They girls that had been giving Haley dirty looks saw what just happened and started to giggle. They all looked at each other before nodding and getting up from their table to make their way over to Haley.  
  
"Ouch," sighed the blonde. Haley decided she must be the leader as the other three stood behind her. "That had to hurt." They then proceeded to make themselves comfortable on the bench across from her.  
  
"What?" Haley questioned, eyeing them carefully, trying to decide what they wanted from her. She studied them and wasn't surprised to find that they all looked almost identical to each other. She had to suppress the urge to laugh. There was a set at every school, the girls that think they're just the coolest things to come around since the Spice Girls. She hated them at her old school and she had no doubt she'd hate them here.  
  
"That look of pure disgust that Nathan Scott just shot your way," answered the girl with more than a little amusement in her voice. The others all fell into line and giggled with her. Haley rolled her eyes at the commented, but couldn't help but feel a little upset at her words. Was Nathan really disgusted with her?  
  
"Whatever," was Haley's only clever remark. She didn't have the time to deal with these bitches right now; she just wished Brooke would come soon.  
  
"I'm Christina," the leader said, without offering her hand to shake. She looked over at the girls around her. "These are my girls; Tanya, Jordan and Dani." The others all gave her what she could only describe as a pity smile in which she returned. "You're new, right?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," Haley answered, cursing herself for hesitating. "I'm Haley, I just moved here from Charleston." Christina nodded her head as if she had finally understood some great mystery that had been bothering her since she was firs table to talk.  
  
"That explains it.  
  
"I'm sorry?" Haley asked, not sure what she was trying to get at. She glanced up to look at Nathan as he quickly turned away. Was he looking at her? Maybe she hadn't blown it as bad as she originally thought. "Explains what?"  
  
"Why you're sitting here," Tanya answered, eyeing Haley then looking down at the table. Haley looked at her in confusion, thinking that she was sitting at their table for a moment before remembering that what Brooke had told her about which table to sit at. This was defiantly the table she had been instructed to sit at.   
  
"I don't understand..."  
  
"You see, Brooke James sits at this table," Christina elaborated, opening her arms and waved them across the tabletop. Realization hits Haley and she has to stop the smile that's threatening to come to her lips.   
  
"Oh," she sighs dramatically as if she knew exactly what they were trying to get at. "I see. What ever was I thinking?"  
  
"Obviously, you weren't," Christina snapped. The light feeling that had just come over Haley quickly disappeared. At first she thought she was safe because of Brooke, but she soon realized that Brooke wasn't there yet. "I don't know what you were at your old school, but you're nothing here."  
  
"We have a well established system at this school," Dani informed her. Haley's eyes wandered from Christina's face to land on the other blonde's. She wasn't sure which one was scarier. "There are the jocks and the cheerleaders, they're at the top. This includes Brooke James and you're wannabe lover boy over there." She tilted her head in Nathan's direction. He seemed to be making a point of not looking at her.  
  
"Then there's us," Jordan continued, taking her spot in the lone up. "We're just as pretty as the cheerleaders, we just don't have the moves."  
  
"You are at the bottom of the list," Christina stated with an evil smirk on her face. Haley noted that another difference between these girls and her sister's friends was the way they treated others. These girls were complete snobs while Brooke, Peyton and the others have been nothing but nice to her.  
  
"And why is that?" Haley knew right away that she shouldn't have asked that question; she was just going to get a miserable answer. Tanya, Dani and Jordan laughed at her question and looked to Christina for the answer.  
  
"Because you're nothing," she answered in a nasty tone. "You're just a dirty little whore that nobody knows exists. Nobody wants you here and nobody ever will." Haley lowered her head as she let the words wash over her. The things Christina was saying, they were all things that her father had yelled at her more than once. She had always tried not to listen to them, but hearing them from someone else's mouth, she couldn't help but think that maybe they were true.  
  
--**Sisters annoy, interfere, and criticize. Indulge in monumental sulks, in huffs, in snide remarks. Borrow. Break. Monopolize the bathroom. Are always underfoot. But if catastrophe should strike, sisters are there. Defending you against all comers.**--  
  
"Chrissy," came a voice from behind them. Haley had never been more thankful to hear her sister's voice in her entire life. The four girl's all whipped around to face her, but Haley's gaze remained fixed on the table. There Brooke stood with Peyton, Lucas, Jake, Peyton, Theresa and Tim behind here. A huge smile broke out on Christina's face.  
  
"Hey, Brookie," she greeted in an overly perky voice. No one would have known that she had just been the nastiest person to Haley. "What's up, guys?"  
  
"What are you doing?" Brooke asked, stepping forward. Brooke had overheard all the horrible things that she had just said to her sister and it only gave her another reason to hate them. She could never stand them, but they all seemed to think that they were all the best of friends.  
  
"Oh, we were just telling this scrub where she stands," Chrissy answered, going into full ass kissing mode. There was nothing she wanted more than to be friends with Brooke James.  
  
"Oh," Brooke nodded, moving around the table so she was on Haley's side. She sat down right beside Haley, wrapping an arm around her waist and kissing her sister softly on the temple. "So, I see you've already met my sister?"  
  
"You're what?" Chrissy gasped, almost choking on her tongue. She looked back and forth between the girls with wide eyes. Haley finally raised her eyes and almost burst out laughing at the expression of horror on Christina's face. It was priceless.  
  
"Sister," Brooke repeated with fake cheerfulness. Haley watched the emotions play out on her sister's face and knew that if all theses people weren't around, Brooke would have ripped Chrissy a new one without hesitation. "Yeah, Hales here is my twin sister. Did she forget to mention that?"  
  
"Uh, yeah," Chrissy stuttered, watching any chance she had at being Brooke's friend fly out the window. She was scared when she saw the look in Brooke's eyes; she looked like she could rip her apart with her bare hands. "I didn't know... I wasn't aware that she was your sister."  
  
"That doesn't matter, Christina," Brooke snapped. She saw Haley lower her head out of the corner of her eye and squeezed her tighter. "You come near her again and I'll end you, got it?"  
  
"Yes," they all nodded, making sure to avoid Brooke's gaze at all costs.  
  
"Get gone," she snapped, making sure that they got the message. All four of them moved faster than they had ever moved before, and they were gone before Brooke could say anything else. Instead of going back to their table, they decided it was best to leave the café all together.  
  
"Thanks, Tigger," Haley mumbled, raising her eyes to see Brooke staring down at her with soft eyes. Brooke shook her head and patted her thigh a few times.  
  
"Are you kidding?" Brooke asked in a light tone. She knew that what those girls said really got to Haley, but she also knew that Haley wasn't going to make a scene with everyone around them. Brooke smiled and leaned forward so their foreheads were touching. "No one messes with my baby." Brooke was happy when she saw a genuine smile on Haley's face.  
  
After watching the scene play out in front of them, the others decided that now as a good a time as any to sit down. Peyton walked around and sat on the other side of Haley while Jake, Tim, Theresa and Lucas sat across from them. Brooke and Haley broke apart and Haley smiled shyly at them.  
  
"Hey, guys."  
  
"Hey, Haley," they all said in unison. The sister's shared a look before bursting out into giggles. Seeing that Haley was somewhat comfortable in front of them, they all relaxed too.  
  
"How do like it here so far?" Theresa asked. She didn't really get a chance to talk to Haley yet, but from what she's seen and heard, she thought Haley seemed pretty cool. She was always up to making new friends.  
  
"Baring my recent run in with the Plastics, it's going well," Haley answered, choosing to forget about what happened with Nathan earlier. Without realizing it, Haley's eyes traveled to where Nathan was sitting with his other jock buddies. She couldn't be sure, but it didn't look like he was having a good time. All the other guys were laughing, but he was just kind of sitting there.  
  
"So, where's Nate?" Tim asked, which earned him a kick in the shin from Peyton, who had noticed Haley's eyes on him at the other table. "Ow!" Tim reached under the table and rubbed his now sore leg and pouted. Six pairs of eyes all landed on Haley, expecting her to answer the question.  
  
"Oh, um," she stuttered, realizing they were all looking at her. She quickly tore her gaze off Nathan's back to look at the group. "I guess he just wanted to sit over there today." They all turned their heads to see where Haley was pointing. "Away from me," she mumbled under her breath. Since Brooke was more concerned about Haley than where Nathan's was sitting, she heard what Haley said and made a mental note to ask her about it when they got home.  
  
"That's weird," Lucas commented without thinking. He had totally forgot about the conversation he had with Brooke about Nathan and Haley's potential relationship and about the state they had found Haley in. Brooke glared at him for pointing that out and he quickly jumped back into action. "But, you know, Nathan's a weird guy. You never know what he'll do. He's just, he's a complicated one, my brother."  
  
"Nice try, Lucas," Haley smiled at him. She knew he was just trying to cover up his mistake, but it didn't matter anyway. It was obvious that he was sitting over there because of her; she didn't need Luke to point that out. "I know exactly what's going. There's no need to protect my feelings. No matter how hard Brooke is glaring at you."  
  
"Aw, you know me too well, baby," Brooke laughed and dropped the death glare she was sending Luke's way. She gave him a sweet smile and winked at him before resting her head on Haley's shoulder. "Don't worry about him, baby, he's just being a jerk." she whispered into her eye when everyone started to have their own conversations around them. Haley leaned back to look into Brooke's eye and smiled weakly.  
  
"I know." Haley didn't even try to hide the uncertainty or hurt out of her voice. She didn't see the point when Brooke was just going to see right through it. Brooke frowned at the sadness in her voice and returned the sad smile. She gave Haley a kiss, hoping it would be some kind of comfort. She knew this was going to happen. She saw it coming, but she wasn't able to stop it. Now, she was just going to have to let it run it's course and hope for the best.  
  
-OTH-  
  
I'm done for now. I know it wasn't that great, but at least I know this and I'm not living in denial land. Anyway, please tell me what you think. Thanks.


	18. An Unusual Secretion of Lies

Author's Note: Hey, guys. Thanks for all the great reviews for the last chapter. Sorry it's been so long, but I had this chapter half written and then it was just staring at me in the face. Anyway, this was supposed to be longer, but I ended up breaking it in two parts. Hope you enjoy.  
  
-OTH-

--**In the sweetness of friendship let there be laughter, and sharing of pleasures. For in the dew of little things the heart finds its morning and is refreshed.--**

The rest of the day went by without a problem for Haley. Her last class was Math with Brooke, Lucas, Nathan and Chrissy. As soon as she walked into the class and spotted Chrissy sitting there, she thought she was going to throw up. Brooke just squeezed her hand and told her not to bother even looking at her.  
  
She didn't get to choose her own seat, but lucky for her, the teacher had the students in alphabetical order so she got to sit beside Brooke anyway. She was glad that she understood all of the stuff that the teacher was explaining, even if the rest of the class didn't. That was one of her fears when coming to the new school that she was going to be too far behind all the others.  
  
She managed to get through class without having to talk to Nathan or Chrissy. After class, she and Brooke headed to their lockers, got all the things that they needed and headed home. Lucas turned down an offer for a ride since he had driven his uncle's truck to school that day and before they knew it, they were pulling into the driveway.  
  
Brooke unlocked the door and dropped her bag next to the stairs; Haley did the same before they wandered into the kitchen. Brooke grabbed two water bottles from the fridge and tossed one to Haley. Without thinking, Haley reached up to grab it, and immediately regretted it when she felt the shooting pain in her side.  
  
"Ow, ow," she cried, dropping the bottle on the table and wrapping her arm around her stomach. "Broken ribs." Brooke's eyes widened and she was at Haley's side in an instant.  
  
"I'm so sorry, baby," she sighed, rubbing her hand up and down Haley's back in a calming manner. "I completely forgot. My total bad."  
  
"Don't worry about it, Tigger," Haley told her, laughing slightly at the way her sister was overreacting. She took a deep breath to gather her strength and stood up straight, a smile on her face. "I'm all better now."  
  
"You sure?" Brooke felt horrible that she cause her sister any kind of pain. It was just so hard for her to remember that Haley was really a walking bruise right now. With all the makeup they had put on her today, it was difficult to remember that she was almost broken.  
  
"Hey, don't sweat it, kay?" Haley tried to tell her. She scooped up the water bottle she had set on the table and started walking towards the front of the house. It took Brooke a moment to realize that she was gone, before she quickly followed Haley's retreating form.  
  
"You still gonna help me with my math homework?" Brooke asked, deciding it was best to drop the subject of Haley's broken ribs. She figured it would only cause Haley to retreat further into herself and she was finally starting to show some signs of improving, she didn't want to risk it.  
  
"Grab your bag," Haley instructed as she passed their bags. She picked up her's and rounded the banister, beginning her walk up the stairs. Before following her up, Brooke made sure to check the locks on the front door to make sure no one could get in then jogged up the steps, two at a time.  
  
"I see you're making yourself at home," Brooke comment when she walked into the room to find her sister already sprawled out on the bed, math work spread out for them to look at. Haley glanced up as she entered the room and smirked.  
  
"Sorry," Haley responded, starting to sit up. She kind of just assumed it was okay to be there, they had always shared a bed. "I just figured since we've always shared..."  
  
"Chill, baby," Brooke laughed, dropping her bag down on the bed and plopping down at the top beside her sister. "I was joking. You know you're always welcome in my bed." Haley nodded, knowing that Brooke wouldn't let it drop until she agreed. "Besides, this house has two bedrooms, this one and mom's. I don't think either of us wants to sleep in the Hell Beast's bed, so it looks like we're sharing for a bit."  
  
"I don't want to put you out or anything," Haley insisted. It looked as if she was going to b staying there for a while, moving in basically, and she didn't want Brooke to have to share her bed for the rest of their lives. "I mean, it's your bed. I don't want you to feel that you have to..."  
  
"I want to," Brooke cut her off. "I've missed having you next to me. Sure, I had Luke, but he's most definitely a poor substitute for my Haley Bear." Haley laughed and nodded, knowing that Brooke was being serious. That was one of the best things about their relationship; they could always tell what the other meant.  
  
"I missed you too," Haley whispered, remembering all those long nights that she spent sleeping in Brooke's bed after a run in with her father. She always felt safer when Brooke was beside her, so when she was scared at night, she always crawled into Brooke's bed to sleep. Haley shook her head, trying to get all the bad thoughts out of her brain and picked up the math textbook. "Now, onto multiplying rational expressions..."  
  
"What happened with Nathan this morning?" Brooke interrupted her before she got to far. Brooke had absolutely no desire to learn anything about math. If she didn't pay attention in school, why would she at home? She was, however, incredibly interested in finding out all the juicy details from this morning.   
  
"Brookie," Haley groaned, not believing that she actually thought that they were going to be doing any form of math. She really should have known that Brooke was going to drill her about Nathan eventually, and she actually thought it would have been sooner.  
  
"Come on, Hales," Brooke broke in, pulling out her best pout. "I warned you that we were going to talk about it when we got home. Now spill."  
  
"There's nothing to spill, Tigger," Haley insisted. She wasn't sure what she felt about where this conversation was going. On one hand, she was dying to tell Brooke so she could get some advice on how to deal with the situation. On the other hand, if she told Brooke about it, it made it seem like a bigger deal than it really was. Not to mention the fact that it showed she cared way more than she was trying to let on. "Really, let's just focus on math."  
  
"I've never focused on math a day in my life and you know it," Brooke reminded her, waving her hand. She grabbed the textbook out of Haley's hand and tossed it to the floor beside her. She shifted in her spit so she was looking at Haley. "I know something happened right before me and Luke got there. Not to mention the fact that Nathan wasn't sitting with us at lunch. Something happened and I want to know."  
  
"It's stupid," Haley mumbled, ideally sorting through the notes that she had taken in class. She glanced over at Brooke and frowned. There was no way of getting out of this, so she figured she should just get on with it. She sighed and dropped her head so that her hair was blocking her face from Brooke's gaze. "He was giving me the school tour."  
  
"I got that much, dumbass," Brooke teased, wanting to make this as easy as possible for Haley. This was really the first time that they had talked about boys like this. Back in Charleston, they never really went out with guys, Brooke just started when she moved to Tree Hill, which meant that Haley wasn't around to gab with. "How was it? Were you not getting along?"  
  
"Yeah, yeah, we were," Haley answered quickly, nodded her head. "It was great. We were totally flirting, which is a first for me and he was being really nice. He was telling me about what he was like when he younger. Things were going good."  
  
"And then?"  
  
"He asked me to the dance," Haley explained. There, she said it. Now she felt even more stupid than she did before. There was no way that Brooke wasn't going to laugh at her.  
  
"Is he mentally handicapped?" Brooke asked sarcastically, not understanding what the big deal was. After all, it was just a dance. It's not like they were going to get married. She understood that Haley had never had a boyfriend and probably doesn't know how to act, but it wasn't that big of a deal.  
  
"Tigger," Haley whined, not believing that Brooke wasn't realizing why she was freaking out about this so much. She could tell by the look on Brooke's face and the tone in her voice that Brooke didn't understand her problem. It actually kind of bothered her that Brooke didn't get it. "You don't understand..."  
  
"You're right," Brooke cut her off in a serious tone. "I don't understand. He just asked you to one dance. It's not like he asked for your hand in marriage." Haley shook her head, swallowing her anger. Was Brooke really that oblivious? "I think you might have over-reacted. I really don't see what the big deal is..."  
  
"The big deal, Brooke?" Haley repeated incredulously. Brooke looked taken aback by the sudden outburst. "You're just as insensitive as Nathan."  
  
"Baby..."  
  
"The big deal is that my father's been beating me for the past two years to the point where I've been in a coma and he just raped me no more than three days ago!" She never meant to scream it, but her mouth had another idea. Brooke just sat there, completely stunned at what her sister just told her. She couldn't believe that she had been so stupid that she didn't think of that. "So, you'll have to excuse me if I don't feel like diving into the dating pool right now."  
  
Normally, this would be the part were she stormed out and went to her room, slamming the door for good measure. But alas, this was her room and it's not like she could kick Brooke out, since it was her room too. So the only thing she could do was push her things of the bed in a huff and pull her knees up to her chest in a defensive manner, showing Brooke that any form of comfort was not wanted yet.  
  
Brooke watched as Haley retreated back into herself and she felt amazingly guilty. She should have known what Haley was talking about, but things got so crossed between them that things got misunderstood. Brooke felt horrible that she had said those things to Haley. It made her sound like she didn't care what Haley had been through, like it wasn't anything important. It was the most important thing to her.   
  
"Oh, God," Brooke finally said, groaning at her own stupidity. She wasn't sure when she had lost her tact, but she was starting to sound like Tim. She shifted on the bed, moving closer to Haley. "Baby, I am so sorry."  
  
"Yeah, I know," Haley sighed. She knew that Brooke just wasn't thinking because there was no way that Brooke would ever say something like that if she had any control over the situation. Brooke gave her a sad smile, moving up the bed to sit beside her at against the headboard.  
  
"My brain kind of just shut off there for a second," Brooke continued. Even if Haley wasn't angry with her, she still felt the need to explain herself. She grabbed the arm that Haley had wrapped around her knee and looped her arm through it, resting her head on Haley's shoulder sadly. "You know I didn't mean that, right? We were talking about two completely different things."  
  
"I got that, Tigger," Haley assured her, dropping her head to rest on the one that was on her shoulder. They sat there in silence for a moment, neither knowing what to say. Brooke didn't know if she should tell Haley what she thought she should do, or just let the girl live her own life. Being her twin, Haley knew that Brooke wanted to say something. "So, what do you think?"  
  
--**Go for it now. The future is promised to no one.**--  
  
"It doesn't matter what I think, Hales," Brooke answered. "It's your life." It took everything in her not to give her sister advice. That was always her role; she was the more experienced one of the two so it was her job to advice Haley on decisions such as this. Haley lifted her head off of Brooke's to stare at her in disbelief. A move that went unnoticed by Brooke.  
  
"Who are you and what have you done with my sister?" Brooke rolled her eyes. She should have seen that one coming. Haley laughed and leaned against the wood board at her head. "I'm serious. I really want to know what you think about this."  
  
"Really?" Haley nodded. Brooke sat up straight and took a deep breath. "Okay, then I think you should go." Haley opened her mouth to say something; but was silenced when Brooke put a finger to her lips, shushing her. "No, I know what you just said, and I understand it completely, really I do, but I think it would be good for you."  
  
"How could it possibly be good for me?"  
  
"I don't want you to lock yourself in here for the rest of your life," Brooke explained, her face as serious as a heart attack. "I get that this is hard for you, I can't even begin to imagine what it must be like to live with what happened to you, but that doesn't mean you have to shut everyone out."  
  
"I'm not shutting..."  
  
"I know you, baby, and that's what you're gonna do." Haley wanted to argue, but she knew there was no point. Brooke was right. "Listen to me, Haley. I love you, baby. I will always love you, but I can't be your only friend. I can't be your only link to the outside world." Haley nodded. "I'm not saying that you have to start dating Nathan or anything, but I think it would be good for you if you at least went as friends."  
  
"But he doesn't want to be my friend, Brooke," Haley pointed out. As much as it surprised her, Brooke was actually right. "He clearly wants something from me that I can't give him right now."  
  
"But that doesn't mean you can't give it to him later," Brooke commented with a knowing smirk. Haley opened her mouth to protest, but shut it almost immediately. "I've seen you when you talk about him, I know that you like him too."  
  
"Maybe," Haley admitted, trying to hide her face from the curious gaze of her sister. She loved Brooke to death, but she didn't want to have this conversation with her right now. "But I thought you said I shouldn't go out with him? I thought you said he was a jerk."  
  
"I'd rather have you with a jerk I know, than one I don't," Brooke explained, raising an eyebrow at Haley, telling her not to bother with the whole 'you don't own me' thing. "At least with Nathan, I know what he's capable of. But I have Luke's word that he really likes you and that I shouldn't worry about it."  
  
"But you still are."  
  
"Of course."  
  
"So," Haley began, looking at Brooke nervously. This was the first guy that she ever liked and it was starting to make her feel funny. She wasn't sure if she liked this feeling or not. It was the kind that makes you light head and almost a little queasy if you think about it too much. "Do you really think I should say yes?"  
  
"I really do," Brooke answered with an affirmative nod. She couldn't believe that she was actually saying this, but there was still a very big part of her that wished she could always have Haley all to herself. "I mean, I think it's pretty obvious that you guys are gonna hook up eventually, just think how much better it will be if you're friends first."  
  
"Okay," Haley agreed, in what she hoped was a confident voice. "Okay, I will." Brooke couldn't help but smile proudly at Haley. Only her sister could be this brave. "Luke suggested we come by the Café tonight didn't he?" Brooke thought back to the conversation they had at lunch and nodded. "Do you think Nathan will be there?"  
  
"Probably."  
  
"Then I'll tell him tonight," she decided. She looked over at Brooke and saw the grin on her face and tried her best to stop the smile from spreading to her, but it was no use. Brooke's smile was always infectious. Haley couldn't fight it anymore, and soon there was a smile on her face to match Brooke's.  
  
"Yay!" Brooke cheered, clapping her hands in her typical manner. Haley laughed at the expression on her face. "Haley's got a boyfriend!"  
  
"Emphasis on friend," Haley reminded her. Brooke rolled her eyes, never one to let minor details get in the way of her fun. She waved her hand at Haley and gave her a wet kiss.  
  
"_Sure_." She winked and jumped off the bed, going around the room to gather all the fallen schoolbooks. Haley watched her as she moved and let her mind wander to what might happen later tonight. Even though they would just be going as friends, it was pretty much a guarantee for something more in the future. It seemed like the first time in forever that she might just have a happy ending.  
  
-OTH-  
  
Okay, so that's all for now. Originally, there was supposed to be another part to this chapter. I was planning on including the part where Nathan and Haley talk into this chapter, but I decided at the last minute to keep it to the next chapter. Mostly because this ended up being longer than I expected. Anyway, since I know exactly what I want to happen in the next chapter, I should be able to get that to you guys soon enough.   
  
Please, please, please, tell me what you think. I'm getting the feeling that people are starting to lose interest and I just wanted to make sure that you still like this.


	19. The Boy Who’s Had Too Many Chances

Author's Note: Sorry that I didn't get a chance to update the other night like I promised, but I was just so busy when other things came up. I was going to do it last night, but I was uber tired so I just went to bed early. Anyway, I'm here to drop off an update, so I hope you are all big believers of that old saying 'Better late than never'. Okay, I'm done rambling, here's a shiny new update for you. Enjoy.

-OTH-

--**When there is pain, there are no words. All pain is the same.**--

Finally, after about two hours of teaching, Brooke was finally able to at least understand some of the math, so the sisters had decided to take a break. They quickly fixed something for them to eat for dinner, before getting ready to go meet the gang at the Café. If Haley wasn't nervous enough about talking to Nathan, Brooke's constant fusing over her makeup and clothes was making it worse.

Haley wasn't exactly sure why Brooke was making such a big deal over going to the Café. They were just going to be meeting her friends there, so she didn't understand why Brooke needed to spent an hour getting ready. After Brooke was done with herself, she pushed Haley down on her bed and started rummaging through her closet like a mad woman trying to find something for her to wear.

"Yes!" Brooke cheered, finally finding the perfect outfit for her sister to wear. She glanced back at her sister, making sure that they were still the same size, before grabbing the top and skirt off their hangers and tossing them at Haley. "Those are perfect for you.

"Are you sure?" Haley held up the top and skirt and her eyes widened. There was no way in hell that she was wearing something like that. "No, Brooke. No way in hell."

"Oh, come on, Hales," Brooke whined, moving closer to the bed and plopping down beside her. She knew that she wasn't going to be able to get Haley into that without a fight, but she also knew that Haley would eventually agree to wear it. "You would look so hot in that."

"Yeah right, Tigger," Haley denied, handing the clothes back to her sister. She knew that Brooke wasn't going to stop until she agreed, but it didn't matter to her this time. There was no way that she would wear that. She just couldn't. "Sorry, no dice."

"Oh, you're wearing this," Brooke decided, shoving the clothes back in her sister's face. She remembered that Haley was never comfortable with her body back when they were fifteen, and she didn't imagine that much had changed since then. She also knew that Haley was hot and had nothing to be uncomfortable about.

"No, I'm not, Brooke," Haley replied, sharply. Normally, she would just give up with this argument and wear the stupid outfit, but this wasn't a normal thing. She held up the skirt and top again and shook her head, dropping them on the bed beside her. "I just, can't."

"Yes, you can," Brooke insisted. "Do you know how sexy you would look wearing this? Nathan wouldn't know what to do with himself. Hell, Peyton might have to control herself." Haley let out a puff of air, not believing that Brooke was being that dense.

"Fine," Haley snapped, grabbing the clothes off the bed and standing up. "You want to know why I can't wear these?" She pulled off the shirt she was currently wearing, before taking off her pants so she was standing in front of Brooke wearing only her underwear. Brooke's eye widened when she saw all the bruises and cuts and scars all over Haley's body. They were all in different stages. Some were still black, others were turning yellow, but they all looked like they hurt just the same. "This is why."

"God, baby," Brooke whispered, not able to tear her eyes away from the beaten form of her sister. She had only seen some of the damage their father had done to Haley because Haley always refused to show here. Now, here she was, standing in front of her with no pride left at all, and Brooke had no idea what to do.

"I don't think I'd look real hot," Haley continued. She wasn't mad at Brooke, she was just annoyed that her sister could never tell when to take a hint and drop things. Everything always had to go her way or no way at all. "Besides, I think I'd clash with the top."

"This isn't funny, Haley," Brooke warned, her eyes still tracing over all the horrible marks on Haley's body. Seeing the damage and pain that her sister had gone through, it made her blood boil and she was starting to find it hard to see straight. If she didn't hate her father enough all ready, she absolutely despised him now.

"Maybe that's why I'm not laughing," Haley replied, not a trace of emotion in her voice. She still wasn't ready to talk to Brooke about everything that happened to her, but she had to say something. She didn't know what she was thinking when she took her clothes off, but it was too late to do anything about it now.

"Where are all those from?" Brooke had to fight everything her body was telling her to do. There was nothing she wanted more than to take her sister into her arms and never let go, but she knew that Haley needed to talk about this. If she went into comforting mode, Haley wasn't going to talk.

"Daddy dearest, where else," Haley answered as if it were nothing at all. Brooke still hadn't looked up since she took off her clothes and she was getting uncomfortable under her gaze. "Look, I just wanted to show you that I couldn't wear those clothes. I can't do all the same things as I used to be able to do, okay? So I would appreciated it if you would just stop pushing me to."

"You're right," Brooke agreed softly, standing up and walking closer to Haley in the middle of the room. She bend down and picked up her fallen shirt and pants, handing them to her. She could tell that Haley was becoming uneasy. She wished that Haley was willing to talk to her, but she knew that it wasn't going to happen. "And I'm going to stop trying to get you to do things."

"Thank you." Haley took the clothes out of Brooke's hands and untangled them. She slowly pulled on the shirt, careful of her broken ribs. When her sister came back into view, Haley saw Brooke staring at her. "What?"

"You know I love you more than anything, right?" Haley raised an eyebrow at her words in surprise. She didn't know where Brooke was coming from and she certainly didn't understand how Brooke could think that she didn't know she loved her. Everything Brooke did for her showed Haley just how much she really did love her.

"Of course..."

"And I'll be here whenever you're ready to talk," Brooke continued, ignoring Haley's attempt at answering her question. Haley looked at her for a moment before looking down at the floor, not able to hold Brooke's gaze any longer. She knew that she was hurting Brooke by not confiding in her, but she just wasn't ready.

"I know you will," Haley assured her with what she hoped was a trusting smile. She really did trust Brooke with her life; she just didn't trust herself at the moment. They both weren't sure if Haley was safe yet so Haley wasn't going to let her guard down just yet. "And I love you for that."

"But you're going to have to deal with it sometime." She reached up and kissed Haley gently on the forehead. "I'll be waiting downstairs." With nothing else said, she left the room so Haley could finish getting ready in private.

"Just not today," she mumbled before walking over to Brooke's closet and picking out something a little more conservative to wear. She tried to push Brooke's words out of her mind; she had other things to worry about right now. She was doing what Brooke had told her to do, she was trying to heal. She knew she couldn't hide away forever, so she was facing that fact. She was hopefully taking the first step to recovery.

--**Rejection is nothing more than a necessary step in the pursuit of success.**--

"When are the girls coming, again?" Karen asked Lucas as she came back to the counter after serving the customers their food. There was hardly anyone there; other than Peyton, Jake and Nathan, there was only a small party of four.

"Whenever they want, I guess," Lucas asked, slipping the bills back into the register once he was done counting them. She glanced over at the table Peyton and Jake were sitting at, and couldn't help but smile. They were so in love it was sickening, but he knew that he and Brooke must look the same. "But Brooke usually comes around eight, so it should be any minute now."

"What should be any minute now?" Deb asked, coming out from the back room. She may have turned down Karen's offer to be partners, but she still liked to help out sometimes.

"Brooke and Haley are dropping by soon," she answered, smiling at the blonde woman and handing her a cup of freshly made coffee.

"Brooke, I know," Deb began, reaching passed Lucas to grab some milk and sugar. "But which one is Haley?" She felt bad that she didn't know who the girl was. If she was a friend of Lucas and Brooke, then she was probably a friend of Nathan's. It hurt that she didn't know who her son's friends were. She quickly glanced over at Nathan sitting alone at his table and frowned.

"Oh, she's new to town," Karen explained, catching the hurt look come to her friend's face. She knew that Deb was really hurting over the rift that she had created with her son, so she didn't want to upset her over nothing.

"Yeah," Luke nodded, finally finished with the money. He shut the register and turned around to face the two women, leaning against the counter. "She's Brooke's twin sister from Charleston. She just moved in with her the other day."

"I didn't know she had a twin."

"No one did," Luke explained, also checking the longing look on Deb's face as she look at Nathan. He felt bad for Deb, but he knew that it was hurting Nathan just as much to be on the outs with his parents. "She just sort of showed up out of nowhere."

Before Deb had a chance to say anything, the bell over the door chimed signaling that people were there. The three at the counter turned around to see who was there and smiled when they saw Brooke and Haley coming in. The girls sent smiles in Peyton and Jake's direction before coming over to the counter. A smile lit up Brooke's face as she saw Lucas.

"Hey, Broody," she greeted, dropping her hold on Haley's hand to lean over the counter and give her boyfriend a kiss. Once she pulled away and they were both seated on a stool she smiled at the women. "Hi, Karen, Deb."

"Hi, Brooke," Karen replied with a warm smile. Since Deb didn't really know Brooke all that well, she settled on just smiling at her. "I haven't seen you since Friday. Normally you live at our house on the weekend."

"Sorry, I was just busy," Brooke answered, tilting her head in Haley's direction. Haley rolled her eyes, knowing that she was just playing around. She knew that she hadn't kept Brooke from doing anything; Brooke didn't want to face anyone after everything that she had been hiding. "Oh, you haven't met my sister yet, have you?"

"Not formally," Karen answered, smiling sweetly at Haley. Haley wasn't sure what she was talking about, but she liked this woman already. She didn't think she had ever meet a woman that was less threatening than the one in front of her. All of her mother's friends were rich snobs and her father's girlfriend's all treated her like she was six.

"She was the adult I called at the hospital," Brooke informed her sister, seeing the confused look on face. Haley nodded, a little uncomfortable now that she was aware Karen knew about her past. Brooke her an apologetic smile. "Karen, this is my adorable baby sister, Haley."

"I thought you were twins?" Karen asked, shaking hands with Haley. Haley laughed at the question while Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Oh, we are," Haley assured her with a laugh. She pulled her hand back and patted Brooke's thigh with it. "But Brooke here has this crazy idea that she's older than me."

"I am," Brooke exclaimed. She saw the familiar look on Haley's face and shook her head. "Hey, five minutes in five minutes."

"And because of that, she's insanely overprotective of me." Brooke wrapped her arm around Haley's waist and nodded her head proudly. She was overprotective of her and she wasn't afraid to admit it. Plus, if there was ever a reason to be protective of her, their father was one.

The group talked for a bit more, introducing Haley to Deb and talking a little bit about their lived in Tree Hill. Soon, Deb had to go because she had a meeting with her lawyer and Karen went off to serve more customers that had come in while they were talking, leaving Brooke, Haley and Lucas at the counter.

"Nathan's looking pretty lonely over there, Hales," Brooke pointed out with a smile. She started pushing Haley out of her seat. "Why don't you go an keep him company?" Haley glared at her for a moment before throwing Lucas a tight smile and walking slowly over to Nathan's table.

"Hey," she greeted nervously once she reached him. Nathan looked up at her in surprise, not expecting to see her after he had been such a jerk about he whole thing. After he thought about, he realized that he had been way over the line.

"Haley?" he questioned, wanting to make sure that she wasn't coming over to yell at him. He sighed in relief when she smiled at him. "Do you want to sit down?" Haley nodded and pulled out the chair across from him and sat down. They both sat there, not sure what to say. Both wanted to apologize for the way they acted, but neither knew how to go about it.

"Whatcha reading?" she asked, nodding to the book in his hands. She cursed herself for being so stupid. She didn't care what he was reading; she just wanted to talk about what happened this morning. He looked surprised at the question and turned the book over so Haley could see the cover. "The Great Gatsby?"

"Yeah, I have to read it for English," he explained with a defeated look. He sighed and closed the book, putting the bookmark in it before he dropped it on the table. "So far it totally blows." Haley laughed and nodded, starting to get more comfortable.

"Yeah, and it doesn't get much better," she informed him. She couldn't help but smile at the look that came to Nathan's face. "I read that last year cause my teacher said it was really good. Not so much."

"You're telling me," he nodded. He wasn't sure what she was doing here, but he prayed that he was wrong. He didn't really know girls that well; only the ones that he was close with, but he was almost positive about what Haley had come here to say. "So, uh, what's going on?"

"Okay, no more small talk," Haley decided out loud. She didn't want to beat around the bush; she just wanted to get this over with. "I came here to tell you that I changed my mind about this morning."

"Oh," was all Nathan could say. He closed his eyes and attempted to bury his head in his hands. Why did everything he did turn around and bit him in the ass?

"I'm sorry that I turned you down so fast, I just didn't think I was ready to date yet," she continued to explain, not noticing the guilty look come to Nathan's face. "But after thinking about it and talking to Brooke, I realized that I was wrong. I really like you, Nathan, and even though I'm not quite ready to date yet, I was hoping we could at least go as friends."

"Haley," Nathan began, looking up at her and almost flitching when he saw the giddiness in her eyes. "I don't know how to tell you this, but..." Before he could finish, they heard the ringing from the bell signaling another customer.

"There you are," came the much to familiar voice. Haley didn't have to turn around to know who it was. Her shoulder slumped and she locked eyes with Nathan. She could tell that he felt bad about it. "I'm sorry I'm late. I was just picking out my dress for the dance."

"Chrissy, now's not really a good time," Nathan tried to tell her, but she wasn't hearing any of it. She smiled at him, leaned down and kissed him on the cheek and pulling a chair from another table and sitting as close to Nathan as humanly possible. It wasn't until she was seated that she noticed Haley sitting at the table.

"Oh, hi," she greeted with a forced smile. She still hated the girl, but since she was related to Brooke, she might have to step down. Then again, now that she was with Nathan, she didn't need Brooke's popularity to help her, she had his. "I didn't see you there."

"Yeah," Haley mumbled. She saw that Nathan was about to explain, but she held up her hand to stop him, already able to figure it out on her own. She shook her head and got up, trying to decide what to do or say. "Um, I think I'm just gonna go." She attempted a smile at them before turning around. "I'll, uh, see you tomorrow, I guess."

Brooke, who had witnessed the exchange from the counter with Lucas, watched helplessly as her sister ran out of the Café before the tears could fall. This was all her fault. She looked over at Lucas, who just nodded his head and moved towards the door. As she walked by their table, Peyton stood up.

"I'll come with," she offered, knowing that this was in some was Brooke's fault. She could tell by the guilty look on Brooke's face that she had interfered and now she had to clean up the mess.

"Okay," Brooke nodded. She wasn't sure if it was a good idea to bring the blonde with her, but she couldn't be certain that Haley would talk to her and she needed to talk to someone. Peyton said goodbye to Jake and they continued to the door, where Nathan was sitting. He started to get up to go with them, but stopped dead in his tracks at the look Brooke was sending him.

"Brooke, I swear I didn't mean to..."

"Don't, Nathan," she warned, not sure if she would be able to control herself if he took another step. Nobody hurt her sister and got away with it, whether it was intentional or not. When Nathan sat back down, she sent a warning look in Chrissy direction, telling her to keep her mouth shut. "Just, stay away from her."

Nathan watched as the two girls left the Café in search of Haley. He felt Chrissy run her hands over his back and he shrugged her off, moving his chair away from her. He ignored her complaints and looked out the window, praying that Haley didn't hate him.

-OTH-

That's all for now. I hope you guys aren't mad at me for what happened, but I had to piling on the pain for my Haley, didn't I? I love the girl to death, there for she must be in the most pain. It's a continuing theme I have in all my stories. Anyway, please reply if you're still reading this. I've noticed that the audience seems to be getting smaller and I just want to make sure that you guys are still interested.


	20. So Good is Better Than Nothing At All

**Author Note:** Hey, all. I didn't think I was going to be able to update this soon, since I have so much homework and so many other stories on the go, but at the moment, I think I'm enjoying writing this one the most and it seems to be the most popular. Which is probably because this is the only one of my stories that seems to show a promising future for Nathan and Haley. Anyway, I'm not sure what I have planned for this chapter yet because I think it's two or three more chapters until the big drama is going to hit, so I think this one is another transition one, but we'll see where it leads. I hope you enjoy.

-OTH-

**--Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.--**

Haley ran down the street, trying her hardest to hold in her tears. She wasn't exactly sure where she was going; she just hoped she was going in the direction of her house. Knowing her luck, she was going the complete opposite direction, but right now; she really didn't care. At this moment, getting as far away from the Café was the right direction.

She couldn't believe that she had let that happened to her. She thought she knew what she was doing, she was almost positive that Nathan liked her. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe Nathan only invited her to the dance in the first place because he pitied her and felt forced to since they were talking about the dance.

But that didn't explain the things that Brooke was talking about earlier. She had said that Nathan really liked her, that she could see it in his eyes. She had trusted Brooke; she thought her sister knew everything about the opposite sex. Looks like she still has a few things to learn after all.

"Oh, God," Haley groaned, coming to a stop at the end of the street. She bent forward, bringing her hands up to hold her sides. Maybe running down the streets like a raging lunatic wasn't such a hot idea when you have two broken ribs. Now that she has stopped running, she finally lets the tears come. They spill over her eyelids and down her cheeks until they hit the ground.

Why was she so upset about this? Compared to what she has been living with for the past couple of years and what was just done to her a few days ago, getting turned down for a date to some stupid dance shouldn't be effecting her as much as it was. She wasn't sure if it was because she really liked Nathan or if it was just the last straw. Her money was on the latter.

A girl, even one as strong and stubborn as Haley was, could only take so much. With everything that has happened lately, getting dumped like that was just more than she could take. She had put herself out there, even though she didn't want to at first, she did it anyway, thinking it was the first step to healing. She put herself out there and she got burnt.

"Haley!" she heard her sister's voice in the distance. She should have known that Brooke would come after her, and she did know. Whenever she was hurt or in trouble, Brooke was there, even if she was the one that cause it in the first place. Haley heard the footsteps start to slow down as they neared. Now that they were walking, Haley could distinctly hear two sets of footsteps. Panic raised in her as the thought of it being Nathan dawned on her. She glanced up and was relieved to see a head of curly blonde hair standing behind Brooke.

Peyton. She liked Peyton.

"Hales," Brooke called again, but more softly this time. Seeing that Haley wasn't going to respond, she took a few steps forward. She glanced over her shoulder at her blonde friend and signaled for her to stay where she was. Peyton nodded. Brooke turned back around and continued over to her sister.

"Brooke?" Haley got out between sobs. She wasn't sure what she was asking for, she already knew it was Brooke, but she just needed to make sure that she wasn't really there, that she wasn't just a figment of her imagination. Brooke didn't say anything, just closed the remaining distance between them and stood at her side. She laid a gentle hand on Haley's back and knelt down so she was at eye level with her.

"I'm right here, baby," she assured her in a soothing voice. As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Haley collapsed against her and continued to sob. Brooke clenched her eyes shut at the horrible sound and held the other girl tighter, rubbing small circle on her back.

As much as she hated to see her sister cry, there was just something about that sound of her sobs that made everything that much worse. Haley James was never one to cry without reason. In fact, as long as Brooke had known her, which was obviously their entire lives, Haley was the one that cried the least. She didn't like to cry, and she never cried in front of anyone but Brooke.

After a few minutes Haley's cries began to subside, but she stayed buried in Brooke's arms. Brooke's eyes slowly opened and they wandered over to where Peyton was standing. The blonde was watching them with her hands in her pockets and tears in her eyes. She, like Haley, didn't like to cry in front of people, but she couldn't control herself. She was the type of person that tended to cry when others cried.

"What to you say we go home, huh?" Brooke whispered into Haley's ear, careful not to scare her. Haley nodded, but didn't say anything. Brooke tightened her hold on Haley and slowly helped her stand up. She nodded over to Peyton, telling her to come help her out. "Peyton's gonna help me take you home. Is that okay?"

"Yeah," Haley whispered, feeling more than a little foolish that Brooke was treating her like she was just a little baby. Before she knew what was happening, Brooke had an arm wrapped around her waist and Peyton was holding her arm and they were walking down the street. As it turns out, she was going in the right direction; she just made a wrong turn.

Haley didn't even realize that they had walked so fair until they were standing on the porch to her house. All her weight was against Peyton as Brooke searched through her purse to find the keys to the front door. Once she got it open, Peyton got a good hold on Haley's body and walked her into the living room and laying her on the couch. Brooke closed and locked the door before joining the two in the other room.

"Thanks for the help," Brooke told Peyton as she sat down on the edge of the couch, beside Haley's stomach. Peyton nodded and stood up, moving to stand closer to the coffee table.

"No problem," the blonde answered, looking uncomfortable at the situation. She didn't feel like it was her place to be there right now. She only volunteered to come along because she figured that Brooke would need help getting her home, she didn't plan on staying the entire time.

She watched as Brooke rubbed small circles on Haley back, trying to calm her down. Brooke brushed some hair out of Haley's face and leaned forward to kiss her softly on the head. Peyton definitely didn't belong there.

"I'll just go chill in the kitchen," Peyton informed them. She saw that Brooke was about to protest to tell her that it was okay, so she gave her a begging look. Brooke could tell that she didn't want to be there for this and nodded. Peyton gave her a small smile in thanks before turning around and leaving the room.

"Where's Peyton going?" Haley asked quietly, her voice have muffled from the pillow her face was buried in. She liked Peyton, she really did, but she was glad that she had left. As much as she may like her, she still wasn't that comfortable around her yet.

"She's just giving us some privacy," Brooke answered, continuing to rub circles on her back. Her grandmother always did this for them when they were little; when they were sick or couldn't sleep. Haley nodded and carefully repositioned herself so she was lying on her back and staring up at Brooke. "Hey, baby."

--**Never a lip is curved with pain that can't be kissed into smiles again.**--

"Hey," Haley greeted weakly. "Sorry I ran out of there like that. It was just too much, you know?" Brooke nodded, waving her hand, indicating that it was not a problem. "I think I finally reached the edge or something. I just sort of flipped."

"Don't worry about it," Brooke told her with an encouraging smile. If a normal girl had freaked out that much over what happened, she would have thought it was stupid, but with everything that was going on with Haley and knowing that way things were with Nathan, she completely understood her sister's reaction. "I completely understand."

"Still," Haley protested. "I should have handled it better. Nathan probably thinks I'm a baby now." Brooke shrugged her shoulders and shook her head.

"Who cares what he thinks?" Brooke challenged. She loved her sister to death, and she hated seeing her so down. She understood that what just happened was something major. Haley had taken a step towards healing and she got burned her first time out, but the best thing for her now was to get her mind off it.

"I care."

"Well you shouldn't," Brooke told her in a confident voice. "I say screw him. He was an idiot to ask Chrissy to the dance and if he's that stupid you don't want to go out with him, right?" Haley smiled sadly up at Brooke. It wasn't making her feel any better, but just knowing that her sister cared enough to try meant something to her.

"It was my fault," Haley protested. She should just leave it alone, but she had to talk about it. There was just something in her nature that always seemed to force her to make the littlest wounds bigger. "I turned him down and it hurt his male pride or whatever. I was stupid to expect him to wait around for me."

"No you weren't," Brooke told her, reaching forward and brushing her fingers against Haley's cheek, wiping her tears away. "You, Haley Elizabeth James, are more than worth waiting for. He shouldn't have asked someone else so quickly."

"Yeah, but…"

"Let's forget about him, alright?" Brooke suggested, cutting her off. She didn't want to continue with this conversation because it was obviously getting them nowhere. They were both James girls, which meant they were both as stubborn as hell, so there was no point in arguing about this. "You'll see him at school tomorrow, and you guys can talk it out then. There's no point in stressing about it now."

"You're right." Brooke smiled victoriously.

"You really should know that by now, Hales," Brooke teased. Haley laughed at her sister's antics and shook her head. God, she missed her. Brooke smiled a genuinely happy smile and pulled Haley up into her arms for a hug. "You'll be okay, I know it."

"Thanks, Tigger," Haley whispered back. They stayed like that until the sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted them. They pulled apart slightly and turned to smile at Peyton.

"Hey, Goldilocks," Brooke greeted with a smile. Peyton rolled her eyes; used to the stupid names Brooke always called her. Nobody knew what it was, but it seemed like there was just something in Brooke that won't let her call people by their names. "Are you gonna stand there all night or are you gonna come join us?"

"Is that okay with you, Haley?" She could tell by the way that Haley acted, that she wanted to be friends. She just wasn't sure how comfortable the girl was with her yet.

"Pop in a movie first and you've got a deal," Haley offered. She thought it was sweet that Peyton asked first. The girls shared a smile before the blonde moved over to the television to find a DVD to watch. Brooke watched the scene with a smile. She knew they would get along.

"Move over, babe," Brooke ordered as she stood up. Haley sat up enough for Brooke to slip in under her head before lying back down. She shifted again so that she was on her side and could see the TV. Brooke started running her hands through Haley's hair like she always did. Haley's hair was so soft and she loved playing with it.

"Any preferences?" Peyton asked, more to Haley than to Brooke. She already knew what movies Brooke liked and she figured that it should be Haley's choose on what to watch. Both Haley and Brooke shook their heads. Peyton shrugged, grabbed the nearest DVD and popped it in. She walked back over to the couch and plopped down on the opposite end. Once she was seated, Haley placed her legs on top of Peyton's.

"What are watching?" Brooke asked, not noticing the look Peyton and Haley were just sharing. "Please tell me it's not Crossroads again." Peyton's eyes widened and she glared at Brooke. She had promised not to tell anyone that she liked that movie. Brooke laughed and smirked in her direction. Haley tried to suppress a laugh.

"10 Things I Hate About You," Peyton answered in tight voice. The sisters nodded in approval and turned to watch the beginning of the movie.

After the movie was done, they got some popcorn before watching another one. It was a traditional girls night in and Peyton ended up crashing for the night. For the first time in what felt like forever, Haley had fun. And the best of all, she didn't think about Nathan once.

-OTH-

That's all for now. I'm sorry that it was so short. I was planning on making a little bit more at the end, but since I'm so tired and have the biggest headache, I thought I'd save it till the next part. The next chapter should be the calm before the storm, if you know what I mean. Sorry there wasn't much Naley, but I hope you enjoyed it anyway. Please tell me what you think so I know that you're still interested. Thanks.


	21. I’m Cleaning Up This Holy Mess I Made

_Author's Note:_ Hey, everyone. Sorry it's been awhile, but I was busy. Thanks so much for all the great reviews and I'm glad that you are still liking this. Finding quotes is getting a lot hard now, but now that all the drama will be coming back next chapter, I don't think it'll be much of a problem. I have this amazing quote that will be perfect, I just need to find a way to use it. Anyway, please reply to tell me what you think. Enjoy.

_-OTH-_

--**Write the bad things that are done to you in sand, but write the good things that happen to you on a piece of marble.**--

The night before had been the best night Haley had had in what felt like forever. She couldn't remember the last time she went to bed feeling happy. For as long as she could remember she always went to bed scared. Either it was because she had just had a run in with her father, or because she hadn't and was waiting for him to come looking for her. Whatever the reason was, Haley hadn't had one decent night of sleep in two years.

The girls had woken up surprisingly early considering the time they went to bed last night, and went straight to cleaning up the mess they had left. Peyton cleared all the dirty dishes and threw them in the dishwasher while Brooke and Haley fixed everything up in the living room.

Brooke insisted that Haley have the bathroom first while they finished cleaning. Not wanting to argue, Haley quickly went upstairs, took a short shower, got dressed in some of Brooke's more classy clothes and came back downstairs to find the girls in the kitchen. Brooke went up next because Peyton decided not to bother with a shower.

"Ew, gross," Brooke exclaimed, moving towards the door after Peyton told her to go ahead. "This isn't France, you know? We Americans like to bathe once in a while."

"I have gym second period, smart ass," Peyton told her, sticking out her tongue in response to Brooke's similar actions. "No need to waste your precious water if I can waste the school's, right?" Brooke rolled her eyes and nodded, before walking out of the room. Haley watched them with an amused smile on her face.

"I'm glad Brooke's got such good friends here," she commented. Before, she had been so set on hating Peyton for almost replacing her, but she was really starting to see why Brooke liked her so much. Peyton turned her head around to look at Haley, trying to judge whether she was being serious or not.

"Thanks," she replied once she decided that Haley was being serious. She was glad that Haley liked her because she seemed like a really cool person. Plus, any friend of Brooke's was a friend of her's. "I know that it's probably tough for you to let people in, I can't imagine how hard it would be to trust someone new."

"I'm working on it," Haley told her. They shared another smile; both recognizing that it was an important moment in what they hoped would be the beginning of a long friendship. "What you say, I make breakfast? I can make a mean omelet."

"Sounds good," Peyton answered, with an affirmative nod. "It'll be weird for someone to be cooking in here. I don't think Brooke or your mom have ever even used the stove."

"I'm not surprised." Haley searched around the kitchen and was able to find everything she was looking for with a little help from the blonde. By the time they heard the shower turn off upstairs, the eggs were done. She was just serving Peyton as Brooke strolled through the kitchen door looking oh so fresh and clean.

"Yummy," she stated, rubbing her visible stomach as the delicious smells of Haley's cooking greeted her as she entered. "Something smells good. Since it's obviously not Peyton, I'm assuming someone made breakfast?"

"My famous omelets for my sister," Haley responded, placing Brooke's plate on the spot she had set up for Brooke. Brooke flashed her a bright smile and slipped into the chair, diving right into her meal. There was nothing she loved more than her sister's cooking. She wasn't sure where Haley got the talent from because neither of her parents could cook, not that she knew of anyway.

"Oh, slow down there, Brookie," Peyton suggested the blonde at the end of the table. Brooke didn't answer her, just glared as she continued to eat. She pause only for a second to turn around and ask Haley for a drink. Before she could even open her mouth, Haley was already walking towards her with a glass full of orange juice for her. She smiled brightly as Haley leaned down and placed it in front of her.

"You're the best, babe," Brooke marveled at her and patted her on the cheek with her free hand. Haley nodded and rolled her eyes before moving around Brooke and sitting down in her own seat with a plate in front of her. Once she was seated, she glanced up at Peyton to see that she was eating her food.

"Everything okay?"

"They're great," Peyton assured her with a mouthful of food. "Much better than I could ever do. Thanks for making them." Haley smiled at her and waved her hand.

"Not a problem." They quickly finished their breakfast and after Peyton got changed into some of Brooke's clothes, much to both girls' disapproval, they were off to school. They arrived just in time to go to their lockers before the bell rang, so they didn't get a chance to see the guys since they were busy with basketball practice.

"Later, Tigger," Haley called down the hall as she watched her sister disappear into the crowd. She and Peyton linked arms and made their way to art class.

It seemed that today was going to go by in as much of a blur as it did yesterday because before Haley knew what was happening, it was already lunch and she was being let out of her History class. She and Brooke went to their lockers then met up with Lucas just outside the cafeteria and they all walked in together. Trying her best not to make eye contact with Chrissy as they made their way to the table, Haley walked on one side of Brooke with Lucas on the other.

"Hello, gang," Brooke greeted with her usual smile. She let Haley slip onto the bench beside Peyton before taking the seat beside her. Lucas sat directly across from her.

"Hey," Theresa and Tim both said at the same time while Jake just settled on a wave. She had just seen the boy so he didn't feel the need to give her a vocal greeted. Haley smiled back at him. She really liked him, better than Tim she decided. Both Tim and Jake were sweet and cute; Jake seemed more calm and collected. Which was probably due to the fact that he had a daughter.

The group quickly started up different conversations about anything and everything. While the Brooke and Theresa talked about clothes, Peyton and Haley discussed music, and the boys replayed the great basketball game that was on the night before.

Nathan walked into the cafeteria with his bag slung loosely over his shoulder scanned the room. His eyes landed on his usual table and he spotted Haley in the middle of what looked like an entertaining conversation with Peyton. He silently debated in his head what he should do. He knew he had blown it last night, but he didn't know how to fix it.

"You can do this, Scott," Nathan told himself. He took a deep breath, wondering when he started talking to himself, and began to make his way over to the table full of his friends. As he walked passed Chrissy's table all the girls went silent. Chrissy motioned for the to be quiet as she talk to him. She slipped out of her seat to meet him as he past.

"Hey, baby," she gushed, sashaying over to him with a big smile on her face. She met him just as he stopped to regroup. She pressed herself against him as hard as she could, running her hands over his chest, letting her fingers linger there a little longer than they had to. She smiled back at her friend victoriously, not noticing that Nathan wasn't even looking at her. "You wanna have lunch with me?"

"Some other time," he answered absently, not even bothering to look at her as he fixed the strap of his backpack and continued walking, leaving Chrissy standing all alone. She watched after him with a shocked expression on her face as he walked up to the gang's table. She looked back at her friends in disbelief as they tried to contain their giggles.

As Nathan approached the table, all the conversations seemed to die down at the exact same time. Everyone was silent with the exception of Tim who had no idea what was going on.

"And then he brought it all the way up the court…" he trailed off when he noticed Jake and Lucas weren't listening anymore. His eyes wondered to where they were looking and he smiled when he spotted his best friend. He was completely oblivious to the tension that was in the air. "Hey, man. Long time no see."

"Yeah, hey," Nathan said quietly, tearing his gaze off of Haley and nodding in Tim's direction.

His eyes wander over his friends, trying to see if he was even welcomed there at all. Peyton, Theresa and Jake were all looking down at the table, uncomfortable at the situation. Lucas seemed to be neutral in his opinion of the situation. He wanted to stand up for his brother, but still remain faithful to his girlfriend. Haley's reaction was a little harder for him to read, she looked a little unsure and hurt, but she was looking at him so that was a good sign. Brooke, however, was not hard to read at all. There was really no other way to take the death glare she was throwing his way.

"Got any room for one more?" he begged, putting on his best regretful face. He knew he should be directing the question at Haley, but for some reason he was looking at Brooke, asking her for permission to apologize to her sister.

--**Forgiveness is the answer to the child's dream of a miracle by which what is broken is made whole again, what is soiled is made clean again.**--

"Are you kidding?" Brooke snapped. She couldn't believe the nerve of that boy sometimes. Who does he think he is, just walking up to their table like that as if nothing has happened? Did he really think that Haley was going to just forgive him like that for what he did to her? "No, Nathan, you can't sit here. After what you did last night…"

"Sure you can, Nathan," Haley answered, cutting her sister off before she could tear Nathan a new one. Nathan and Brooke both stared at her in surprise, neither one believing that she had just said that. She glared at Brooke and smiled up at Nathan. "Of course there's enough room for you."

"Thanks, Haley." He smiled back at her and pushed Lucas over so he could fit on the bench beside his brother. Brooke continued to glare at him, but he just did his best to ignore her. He was pleasantly surprised that Haley was willing to give him another chance. He knew he didn't deserve it so he was just grateful that she thought he did.

Lunch went on with a little more uncomfortable conversation before the bell rang signaling that it was time for the last class of the day. Once they were seated in Math class, Brooke immediately began grilling Haley on what she had been thinking when she let Nathan off the hook. Haley just smiled and explained that there was no point in being upset. She had missed her chance and he hadn't done anything wrong. Brooke didn't agree with her sister, but she did agree to let it go for now and promised to try to stop giving Nathan dirty looks.

The girls didn't do any work for the rest of the class, but instead talked about plans for the evening. It was decided that since Haley wasn't in any shape to start cheerleading yet, she couldn't cheer at the practice after school. Since the whole gang was going to be there, Haley had no other ride home, so she was going to have to hang around the gym and watch them practice.

"Sounds like a blast, Tigger," Haley replied sarcastically. Hanging around in a high school gym with a bunch of smelly guys and cheerleaders wasn't exactly her idea of a perfect afternoon, but it looked like she didn't have any choice. Though she was sure she'd enjoy watching Nathan practice.

"Oh, stop complaining, Hales," Brooke said and rolled her eyes. She knew her sister really wanted to come; if not to watch her cheer then definitely to watch a certain Scott brother getting sweaty. "You know you wanna see Nathan working up a sweat." Haley tried to hide her blush and smiled.

"I don't know what you're talking about." Haley watched Brooke shake her head and go back to doodling in her notebook. Haley took that as her queue to start daydreaming. Her eyes wandered around the classroom until they landed on Nathan. To her surprise, Nathan was watching her too.

_-OTH-_

"Okay, so you better be watching us," Brooke warned as she dropped her stuff down beside Haley on the bleachers. She grabbed her water bottle out of her gym bag and undid the cap. When she saw Haley about to roll her eyes she raised a finger. "No, you need to watch and learn the routines for when you're better."

"But I don't want to be on the cheerleading team," Haley pointed out, with a sigh. She tried to stop herself from looking around the room for Nathan. Brooke let out a laugh at the mere suggestion and quickly waved it off with a flick of her hand.

"Please," she laughed. "No sister of mine is going to be a bystander. You'll be on the team and you'll like it." Haley laughed, knowing her sister was teasing. She would be joining the team, but only because of a favor for Brooke. She nodded her head and pretended that Brooke had won the conversation.

"Whatever you say, Brookie." Brooked flashed her some dimples and blew her a kiss as she tossed her the water bottle.

"Later, baby," Brooke said, starting to walk away. She turned around and started walking backwards so she could see her sister. "Enjoy the show, perv." Haley laughed and nodded. Brooke gave her a genuine smile, happy beyond belief to see her sister in a good mood. She made her way over to her squad and a new mask slipped onto her face as she picked up her pom poms. "Okay, bitches! Let's get this started."

Haley watched both teams practice for about ten minutes before it began to get boring. She sighed and stood up. This next hour would be a lot more productive if she did her homework instead of just watching a bunch of guys shot a ball into a hoop. She motioned to Brooke that she was just going to head to her locker for a second. Brooke nodded her head and went back to instructing.

Haley pushed the heavy gym doors open and stepped into the empty hallway. She looked down both ends to see if she could spot anyone, but it was completely deserted. She took a few seconds to decide whether she still wanted to make the trip to her locker, before taking a deep breath and slowly walking down the hall. She was just walking past the bathroom when she felt a hand grab her arm and pull her inside.

"Ahhhh!" she screamed at the jerk. She immediately began slamming her fist against the hard chest she was pressed against and trying to break free of the person's hold. She was just starting to panic when she heard his familiar voice.

"Shhhh, Haley, it's okay," he told her, pushed her out and holding her at arms length so she could see his face. She opened her eyes at the movement and looked up at his face. "It's okay, it's just me."

"Nathan?" she asked, surprised to see him. The panic and fear that had risen up in her stomach was starting to settle down at the sight of him. "What are you doing?"

"I just wanted to talk to you," he answered with a smirk. He felt bad that he had scared her, but he couldn't help but smile at how cute she looked with her hair all messed up and the scared look on her face. "I wanted to explain what happened yesterday and apologizing for what happened."

"It's okay, Nathan…"

"No, it's not," he corrected. "I should have known that you weren't ready to go to the dance with me, hell a big part of me did know that. So when you said no, there was just something inside of me that blew up. You gotta understand, I'm Nathan Scott, _the_ Nathan Scott; I don't know what the word no means."

"I thought there was going to be an apology in here somewhere?" she couldn't help but tease him. There was just something about the way he was acting right now that was making him look absolutely adorable. How this guy was a player, she'll never know. He seemed way too sweet for that kind of thing.

"Wow, you're more impatient than Brooke," he teased back. Haley stuck out her tongue and he tried his best to control all the dirty thoughts that popped into his mind at the action. "I was hurt, is what I was trying to say. Chrissy was all over me in Math class and then I saw you and I just asked her. I don't know what I was thinking. I'm really sorry that I did that."

"It's totally cool," she assured him. "You had every right to ask her. I said no, I missed my chance. I completely overreacted last night when she came up to the table. I was really immature."

"No, you weren't," he insisted, just now noticing that he was still holding onto Haley. Since she didn't seem to be minding it, he held on. "It was your first time and I just sorta shot you down." He silently cursed himself for pointing that out. "I really wanted to go to the dance with you. I still do."

"I do too, but it's too late…"

"It's not," he cut her off. He really didn't want to go with Chrissy; he could barely stand the girl. The only reason he had even asked was because she was sitting right there in front of him and was all over him. "I'll just tell Chrissy that I'm going with you now."

"Not a good idea," Haley told him. "I don't need to be giving her anymore reasons to hate me than the imaginable ones she already has." She laughed as his face fell in disappoint. "Besides, think of this as your punishment. You made your bed, now you have to sleep in it."

"Thanks." As much as he was dreading the entire night with Chrissy, he was willing to suffer through it if Haley told him to. He was aware that he had feelings for Haley, ones that he had never experienced before, but he was still surprised at how relieved he was that Haley was still talking to him. "So? Friends?"

"Friends," she agreed with an affirmative nod. She held out her hand for him to shake. He looked at for a moment before reaching out his own and taking her's in his. They were both surprised at how right it felt and how their hands seemed to fit perfectly together. They kept their hands locked for a little longer than needed before they let go.

"Come on, friend," Nathan said, breaking the silence between them. He draped an arm over her shoulders and walked them out of the bathroom. "Time to get sweaty."

_-OTH-_

Sorry if that was lame, but I needed to get everything right again before everything hits the fan. So, that chapter was needed. Anyway, don't forget to drop me a reply so I'll upset sooner. Thanks.


	22. Gift Wrap Guilt Trip Kisses

_Author's Note:_ Hey, all. Thanks so much for the great replies. I'm not entirely happy with this chapter and the way it turned out, but oh well. I tried. I'm mad that I still didn't get to use my quote yet, but I will soon hopefully. Anyway, please enjoy and tell me what you think.

**--OTH--**

--**We promise according to our hopes, and perform according to our fears.--**

Haley watched in amusement as Brooke, Peyton and Theresa ran around the house like mad women, trying to get ready for the dance. The boys had rented a limo and it was going to be there in a half an hour and they weren't quite ready yet. Theresa still didn't know what shoes to wear, Peyton's hair was only have done and Brooke was waiting for her dress to finish drying after she had spilt her drink all over it earlier that day.

Haley was sitting on the couch in her sweats and one of Nathan's hoodies that he had left there, her hair pulled into a messy ponytail. She had her feet tucked under her comfortably with a bowl of popcorn on her lap while she watched the show in front of her. She had planned on watching television, but she soon found that this was much more entertaining.

"Brooke!" Theresa yelled from the bedroom, her voice barely audible over all the other noise the other two were making. "Where are those shoes you bought last week? The little black ones, I think they'd go great with this dress."

"There in the back of her closet," Peyton called back from her spot in front of the mirror in Brooke's bathroom. She was trying to remember why they weren't doing all of this at her house because it was bigger. Right; Haley. "I remember seeing them when I was stealing her blue top the other day."

"I've been looking for that top," Brooke answered, walking into the living room where Haley was. She was finally in her dress and Haley had to admit that she looked absolutely beautiful in it. It was times like these that she can't believe her and Brooke were twins. She would never look that good in a dress like that. "You took it?"

"Did I not tell you that?" Peyton asked, sticking her head out of the bathroom to give Brooke an innocent look. Her hair still wasn't done yet, but Haley thought it looked a lot better than it did five minutes ago. Brooke glared at her and shook her head in a dramatic fashion. Peyton shrugged. "Must've slipped my mind."

"Must've," Brooke repeated in a sarcastic tone. Peyton smiled sweetly at her and blew her a kiss before disappearing back into the room. Brooke stuck her tongue out at the door and gave the blonde the finger even though she couldn't see it.

"Right back at you," Peyton teased from behind the wooden door, knowing exactly what her friend was doing on the other side. Haley laughed at the surprised look on Brooke's face, which caused her to turn around and face her sister.

"I told you I didn't take it," Haley said, a wide smile on her face. All week long Brooke had been accusing her of stealing her favorite shirt, and now she had been proven innocent. The best part being that Brooke had to say sorry now. Brooke looked at her warily, sensing what was expected now. "Now what do you say?"

"I'm sorry, baby," Brooke answered with a sigh, shuffling her feet and moving over to the couch. She plopped down beside her sister and turned to her, Brooke's bottom lip jetting out an inch, making her look like a two year old that was begging for some candy. "Do you forgive me?"

"I guess," Haley teased, smiling at the look that was still on Brooke's face. Both girls had perfected the look when they were eight. Their grandmother had taught them that for future use, and till this day, she was the only one they had ever meet that has been immune to it. "As if I could resist that famous James' pout."

"It gets Luke every time," Brooke answered, a glint coming to her eyes that left little to Haley's imagine as to what Brooke used the pout for. As Haley took a handful of popcorn in her palm, Brooke opened her mouth. Haley rolled her eyes and feed her sister some of it.

"You're such a lazy ass," Haley commented as Brooke left her mouth open, signaling that she was waiting to be given more. When Brooke saw that Haley wasn't going to give her anymore, she closed her mouth.

"Hey, I just don't want to get my hands dirty," she answered, holding up her hands, that still had freshly painted nail polish on them. Haley didn't believe her, deciding that it was just because Brooke was a lazy bitch that knew she could get Haley to do anything she asked her to.

"Whatever," Haley shot back at her, playfully throwing some more popcorn at her sister, making sure that it got in her perfectly done up hair. Brooke smirked and giggled as she picked them out and threw them back at Haley. "When are the guys supposed to be here, again?"

"Soontime," Brooke answered, not to sure herself. All Luke told her was to be ready sometime around seven. The boys were never on time so it's not like it would matter if they had given a specific time. Haley nodded and Brooke eyed her. "You sure you don't wanna come? I've got the perfect dress you could wear and with me, Peyton and Theresa, we could get you ready before they got here."

"It's okay, Tigger," Haley answered. She knew that Brooke didn't want her to feel left out, but she also knew that Brooke was scared to leave her alone in the house. Over the span of the entire week that she had lived there, Brooke hadn't left her alone for a single second. Haley wasn't sure if it was because Brooke thought she would do something to herself or that their father was going to come. "I don't really feel like going."

"But I thought you and Nathan were cool now?" Brooke asked. At first she was mad that Haley and Nathan were friends because she knew that it was only a matter of time before it moved to something more and that was not something she wanted. "You told him to go with Chrissy, didn't you?"

"Not everything is about guys, Brookie," Haley informed her sister with a smirk. That concept was just something that Brooke would never be able to wrap her head around. Brooke widened her eyes in fake shock and looked at Haley as if she had two heads. "I'm serious. I just kinda want to have some time by myself for a night."

"And that's exactly why I want you to come to the dance," Brooke countered. She wasn't even going to bother trying to be slick about it. She was sick of having to come up with excuses every time she stayed home or went everywhere with Haley. They both knew what she was really doing and why so there was no point in pretending. "I don't like the thought of you being alone right now."

"It's gonna happen sometime," she tried to reason with her sister. She understood that Brooke was just looking out for her, and she loved her more than anything for that, but Brooke was starting to go a little over board with her protective nature. "You can't be with me every second of the day."

"You'd be surprised," Brooke replied in a serious tone. Brooke let out a dramatic sigh when Haley gave her a look that told her that she needed to lighten up a bit. "I'm sorry, okay? I know that I can be a little overprotective sometimes…"

"A little?"

"A lot, whatever," Brooke corrected, rolling her eyes at her sister's interruption. It was hard enough to admit this; she didn't need smart-ass remarks from Haley too. "It's just, you know I love you more than anyone and anything, right?"

"You've told me that on occasions, yes," Haley remarked with a smirk. She wanted to make this as hard for Brooke as possible. After years of Brooke controlling almost her every move, she wanted to savor this moment for as long as possible. Brooke glared at her.

"Hales, I'm serious here," Brooke tried, her voice telling Haley just how serious she really was. The smile on Haley's face suddenly dropped when she realized the other girl was having a hard time with this. "It doesn't matter what you tell me, or what anyone tells me, I feel like everything that's happened to you has been my fault, because I never came and got you."

"Brooke…"

"I know what you're going to say, I do," Brooke stopped her, holding up one hand and taking Haley's other one in her own. "Maybe it's not my fault, but that's just how I feel, how I'm always gonna feel." Haley watched as the emotions played on Brooke's face. She was aware that Brooke used to feel this way, but she had no idea that Brooke still carried around that guilt with her. "Anyway, those are my issues to deal with. I'm just saying that I finally got you back, after two years, I'm finally whole again and I can't lose you now, not ever."

"You won't lose me," Haley assured her. She grabbed the bowl of popcorn that was still on her lap and leaned forward to put it on the table. Once there was nothing between her and her sister, Haley moved over so she was sitting right next to her. "I'm not going to leave you, I promise. Nothing bad is going to happen if you leave me alone of a night. I'll be perfectly fine here."

"You promise?" Brooke asked, her voice low and unsure. She was angry at herself for even thinking about leaving Haley alone in the house this soon after she got there. She had made a deal with herself the first night Haley came that she was never going to let Haley out of her sight; that she was going to protect her at all costs. Then here she was, just a week later, seriously contemplating letting her sister stay home by herself.

"Pinky swear." Brooke looked up and into Haley's eyes to see if she was really as sure about this as she sounded. From what Brooke could see, Haley was telling the truth and Brooke trusted her. Over the course of their entire lives, Haley had never lied to Brooke nor had she ever broken a promise to her. "Okay?"

"Okay," Brooke whispered, finally giving in. Haley knew how hard it was for Brooke to let things go, especially something like this. She smiled at her and pulled her into a hug, kissing her on the temple.

"Everything will be fine," Haley assured her again. She wanted to make it perfectly clear to Brooke that nothing bad was going to happen to her if she was alone for a few hours. The last thing she wanted was for Brooke to ruin her first night alone with Lucas in w week because she was too worried about her.

"You know I'm going to be calling you like every half hour, right?" A part of Brooke was joking, but most of her was being serious. There was no way that she wasn't going to call to check up on her. She would never be able to enjoy herself if she was thinking about Haley the entire time and worrying about whether she was okay or not.

"I would expect nothing less," Haley replied, pulling back from the hug. Brooke gave her a half smile, still unsure about leaving her. Haley saw the uneasiness that still remained in her sister's eyes. "I'll be fine, I promise."

"Okay," Brooke relented, trying her best to hide her feelings. She held up her hands and stood up, smoothing out all the wrinkles that had been put in it from sitting down. Haley grabbed her bowl off the table and settled back into her spot on the couch, watching Brooke fuse over her outfit. Once she was done, she spun around for Haley to catch if she was okay.

"You look beautiful," she told her truthfully, a happy smile plastered firmly on her face. She didn't want her sister to see the sad one that was almost breaking to the surface. Brooke smiled victoriously at the words. She leaned down for a kiss, a squeezed Haley's cheek.

"Thanks, baby." Haley knew that Brooke meant for more than just that little compliment. Even though it may not be much, Brooke still seemed to feel somewhat lighter now, knowing that Haley felt good enough to be on her own for the night.

Before Haley had a chance to respond, there was a knock at the door and a few moments later, Lucas stuck his head into the house, looking to see if the girls were anywhere in sight. Suddenly, Lucas was pushed completely into the house as Tim came barging inside with his tux on. Haley had to admit that he cleaned up nicely.

"You guys ready?" he asked, his eyes scanning the room for any sign of his girlfriend. He had a corsage in his hand and he was starting to get impatient. He just wanted to get to the dance, have some of the spiked punch and get with the dancing.

"Turn down the hormones, Timmy," Peyton commented as she strolled out of the bathroom, hair done up perfectly, with Theresa right behind her. Tim nearly growled at her as she walked past him and up to Jake to give him a kiss. He watched them for a moment before he remembered that Theresa was waiting for him.

"You girls all look beautiful," Lucas told them, but his eyes were locked on Brooke as she stood there in her dress. He loved that dress on her. Brooke had already modeled it for him two weeks ago when she bought it to make sure that it matched his tux so he already knew that she would look stunning.

"Yeah, even you, Haley," Nathan teased, stepping into the already crowded entranceway of the James home. After they were done there, they were going to pick up Chrissy at her house, something that nobody was looking forward to, least of all Nathan. He really hated the girl. "Then again, everybody who wears that hoody is hot."

"And people say you're arrogant," she shot back, a playfully smile on her lips. She was trying her hardest to ignore just how yummy and doable Nathan looked in his tux. It had become a usually thing between them, they loved to tease each other. Brooke realized that if she didn't stop them now, they were only going to get worse.

"Okay, time to file out people," she ordered. Tim and Theresa stopped making out and quickly moved to the door, wanting to get the best seat in the limo. Peyton rolled her eyes and with a goodbye wave to Haley, her and Jake followed the horny couple. "Say goodbye to Nathan, Haley."

"Goodbye, Nathan," Haley complied. Nathan smirked at her and just gave her a head nod before turning around and walking out of the house. Brooke rolled her eyes as she caught Haley staring after him. Yeah, the friends thing was going to work out really well.

"Later, baby," Brooke said, patting Haley lightly on the head as she walked passed her and over to greet Luke. She hugged him and reached up to give him a kiss on the lips. She smiled up at him for a moment before turning back to Haley. "My cell will be on at all times, so if something happens I want you to call me immediately. Even if you're just scared or you think you might have heard something, you call and I'll be here before you can even hang up, okay?"

"Okay, I got it," Haley told her, shaking her head at how serious Brooke was being about this whole thing. She was seventeen years old and Brooke was afraid to leave her alone in the house. "I'll be fine. You just go have fun for a change. Go."

"Bye, Haley," Lucas called as Brooke followed Haley's orders and began pushing him out the door.

"Love you, baby," she called out before slamming the door shut. Haley sat on the couch, staring at the spot that her sister had just been in a second ago. She smiled slightly; glad to have the house to herself for once. Sighing in contentment, she turned back around towards the television and flipped it on.

--**As memory may be a paradise from which we cannot be driven, it may also be a hell from which we cannot escape.**--

Two hours, four episodes of Friends and a bowl of popcorn later, Haley was still lounging on the couch. She was really enjoying herself. Even though she wanted to be left alone, a part of her assumed that she would be either scared or depressed because she'd have nothing better to do but think about her life.

To her surprise, the exact opposite was happening. She honestly hadn't thought about her father once since Brooke left the house. She was too busy watching television to give it much thought. It was a really nice feeling for her.

She left the TV on as she got up to put her dishes away in the kitchen and get something else to drink. She dropped her bowl in the sink and moved to the fridge, grabbing a can of pop and walking back into the living room. She noticed that Will & Grace was going to be on next and smiled, moving towards the couch.

Before she had a chance to sit down though, there was a knock at the door. The sound surprise Haley slightly, but she didn't jump. She glanced at the door as if she had no idea what the noise was before setting her un opened can on the table and walking to the front door.

"Who is it?" she asked, once she was just a few feet away. Instead of answering, the person knocked again. Haley sighed and closed the few remaining feet so she was pressed up against the door and looking through the peephole. It was too dark outside to see who it was.

Haley took a step back from the door and reached for the handle, ignoring the fact that her hand was shaking. She wasn't going to be afraid. It was just someone selling something, or a neighbours coming to burrow some sugar. There were hundreds of reasons why someone would be knocking on the door; there was absolutely no need to freak out over this.

Taking a deep breath, Haley slowly turned the doorknob and just as slowly she opened the door. Her stomach dropped to her feet at the face that greeted her and she felt like there was a hand choking her because she was having trouble breathing. She couldn't believe that she had been so stupid to answer the door like that.

She finally found her voice.

"Daddy?"

"You're a very hard little girl to find, you know that?" Without waiting for her to respond, Jimmy roughly pushed her out of the way and stepped inside, slamming the door behind him.

**--OTH--**

Right, I know that was kind of rushed and everything, but I really have something important to do and this took me longer to write then I thought it would. I kept getting distracted and writing a sentence at a time. Anyway, I hope it was okay to you guys because you're really all that matters. I'm also aware that there wasn't much Naley, but Nathan will have a bigger part in the next few chapters so don't worry. Anyway, please tell me what you think.


	23. Wreck of the Day

_Author's Note:_ Holy crap! Thank you all soooo much for those great reviews. I think that's the most I've ever gotten for a chapter before. I hope I can continue to please you guys with the drama that's coming up. Please leave another review for this chapter if you liked it. Enjoy. 

**--OTH--**

--**You must never shoot the messenger, for he is nothing but the servant of the problem. -**-

Karen smiled sweetly at the women sitting at the table as she placed their plates in front of them and walked away. It had been a long night and it didn't look as if it were going to slow down anytime soon. She had assumed that since most of the teenagers were going to be at the dance that the Café would be almost empty, but she was wrong. It appeared that all the parents had decided to take advantage of their free night and wanted to have a dinner out.

It's not that Karen didn't need the money, she always did, but she was just too tired right now to be worrying about getting the orders right. With the dance, she had almost all of her staff taking the night off and that just left her, Deb, who was out on a delivery, and Marko the cook.

The busy did little to damper her mood though. The kids had all stopped by after they picked the girls up and before they went to the dance. Even though she knew her son and his friends wouldn't appreciate it, she couldn't help but gush all over how great they all looked. The only downer being that Haley wasn't with them.

Karen didn't know much about the girl, other than her family, and she had really only meet her a couple of times. From what she did know, Haley seemed to be a great girl; one that didn't deserve to be sitting at home alone. When she had asked Brooke about where her sister was, Brooke's face fell and she immediately went to call Haley to check in.

Karen shook her head and walked over to stand behind the counter. She looked around the Café and was happy to see some of the customers either leaving or almost finishing their meals. That meant that she would probably be able to close up early and get some quality alone time at the house before Lucas got home.

She started cleaning the countertop off and organizing the mugs in size order since Lucas had messed them up early after he washed them. She groaned as she heard the bell over the top chime, signaling that she had another customer. She glanced up and was surprised at who she saw standing there. It was none other than Dan Scott, Lucas and Nathan's father, himself.

"Dan?" she asked, surprised that she was able to find her voice at all. He and Deb weren't exactly on the best of terms at the moment so she doubted he was there to see the blonde woman, and she couldn't remember the last time she had had a civil conversation with her high school sweetheart.

"Hello, Karen," he replied, moving over and sitting down on one of the stools so he was right in front of her. He smirked at the look on her face. If he was anyone else, he probably would have been hurt by the shock and uneasiness in her eyes, but he kind of enjoyed it. There was nothing he liked better than making people squirm. "Just came to get a cup of coffee."

"In the place that your two exes run?" Karen asked. She couldn't help it; she had to ask. She knew Dan Scott better than anyone, and he never did something without having an alternative motive. He was definitely up to something; she just had no idea what it was.

"Keith told me it was the best," he answered back simply. He smiled at her as she slowly moved to get the cup of coffee. He sat in silence, just watching her. She could feel his eyes on her and it was driving her crazy. Just as she was about to say something to him about it, she heard the Café phone ring. She placed the coffee in front of him and slid the sugar over to him before reaching for the phone.

"Karen's Café, Karen speaking," she greeted into the phone. "How may I help you?" she hated answering the phone that way because they hardly ever got phone calls asking for delivery, but it was the professional way of doing things.

"Hey, Karen, it's Joan Keys," came the voice on the other end. Karen knew who it was immediately. She was an elderly woman that came into the Café almost everyday for lunch. She was a nice old lady, even if she was a little but of a gossip.

"Joan," Karen smiled, turning her back so that Dan couldn't see her. She had no doubt that he was listening to the conversation still, but she wanted to at least pretend that he wasn't in the room with her. "What can I do for you?"

"I was just wondering if your son is still dating my neighbor?" Joan asked, peaking through her blinds to look next door. The strange car was still parked outside and there hadn't been any more action since she first heard the muffled scream. "That James girl?"

"Brooke?" Karen asked. "Yeah, for over a year now." Karen smiled at the words. She still couldn't believe that her son was in a serious relationship. It felt like just yesterday that she was teaching him how to tie his shoelaces. "Why do you ask?"

"Do you know if she's home by any chance?"

"No, no, Brooke, Luke and their friends went to a school dance," Karen answered. She frowned as she tried to figure out why Joan was asking all these strange questions. She glanced over shoulder to see if Dan was doing anything, but he was just sipping his coffee and looking over the menu. "What's going on?"

"I was just looking out my window, you know, to make sure that there were no kids on my lawn," she began. Karen rolled her eyes at the woman. She was always denying the fact that she was a gossip hound.

"And what did you see?"

"Well, there's some strange truck parked in the James driveway," she answered. Karen raised an eyebrow, still not connecting the dots. "Some man got out, I'd never seen him before. I'm not sure who's home since you said Brooke was at a dance and her mother is never home, but someone answered the door and nobody's come out since." It finally sunk in for Karen and her eyes widened. "I could swear I heard a scream and something breaking. Maybe a lamp or mirror."

"Oh, God." Karen brought a hand to her stomach as images of Haley getting beaten by her father flew through her mind. Before she could lose her balance, she took a deep breath and gripped the counter. By this time, Dan had dropped the menu and was watching her with genuine concern. There was a chance that something might have happened to his son, after all. "When did this happen?"

"I saw him about a half hour ago," she answered. "I've been watching for something else to happen, but there's been nothing since the scream. I was starting to get worried and was thinking about going over there…"

"No!" Karen protested quickly. She noticed that she had gotten the attention of a few of the customers and took it down a notch. "No. Listen, Joan, just stay inside, okay? I think I know what's going on. I'll call Brooke right now."

"Call me to let me now that everything's okay." After Karen promised to call her back and hung up, she turned back to Dan, her face completely pale. Dan sat up straight, knowing that something serious was going on.

"What's wrong?" he asked. If Karen hadn't been so distracted with worrying about Haley, she would have noticed the fear on Dan's face. "Is it Lucas?"

"Do you know where Brooke James lives?" Karen asked, her voice unsteady and shaky. Everything seemed so surreal. Once she realized what was going on and the gravity of the situation, she snapped into action. "Do you?"

"Grace James?" he asked, confused at her sudden change of attitude. Karen thought quickly, trying to remember if that was Brooke's mother's name. She vaguely remembered meeting her when they first moved to Tree Hill. Karen nodded. "Yeah, it's not to far from here. Why?"

"You need to get there, fast," she informed him in a strong tone. Out of instinct alone, Dan stood up as if he was going to follow the orders without question. He grabbed his jacket when Karen threw it at him, but shook his head.

"What's going on?"

"Something really bad is happening there," she told him, trying to get him out of there as fast as possible. Every second counted for Haley at this point. He saw that Dan wasn't going to go anywhere unless she told him exactly what was going on. "Brooke's father is there, he's a bastard that likes to beat on Brooke's sister Haley. She was alone there tonight." That was all Dan needed to hear before he bolted towards the door and taking off in the direction of the James house. He may be a manipulative #$ on the best of days, but this even made him sick to his stomach.

Karen watched him leave, a little surprised to seem him moving so fast. It was almost as if he had a heart. She shook it off; ignoring the strange looks she was getting from the people in the Café and dialed her son's cell number.

**--OTH--**

"Do you think I should call again?" Brooke screamed to Lucas over the loud music. The dance was out of control, kids passing out all over the place from the spiked punch and others were grinding on the dance floor. Tim and Theresa falling into the latter category. "I mean, it's been almost forty-five minutes."

"Brooke, she's fine," Lucas assured her. He knew that Brooke was just trying to be protective, but she was actually starting to annoy him with her incisive phone calls. Haley was seventeen, not a baby. She could handle herself at home alone for a few hours.

"I know, but what if…" He silenced her with a kiss. She pulled back with a smile on her face and a dazed look in her eyes. "Okay, she's fine." Without another word, she grabbed his tie and pulled him forward, crashing their lips together. Before the kiss could go much further, Lucas felt his phone vibrating against his leg. He reluctantly tried to pull again from Brooke's lips.

"I have to get this, sweetie," he told him. She sighed and pouted as she let him go. He reached into his black pants and grabbed his phone. He checked the caller ID and it said it was his mother. Raising an eyebrow, he flipped open the phone and pressed it to his ear while sticking his finger in his other one, hoping it would enable him to hear better. "Mom?"

"Lucas, thank God," she breathed, happy that he had answered. She was afraid that he wouldn't be able to hear it over all the music or he wouldn't be near it at the moment. "Is Brooke with you?"

"Brooke?" he repeated in confusion. Brooke's ears perked up at the mention of her name and she unfolded her arms. "Yeah, she's right here. One sec." He covered the mouthpiece and handed the phone over to his girlfriend. "She wants to talk to you." Brooke could tell that he was just as clueless as she was.

"Karen?" she asked into the phone. Nathan, Peyton and Jake, who were all still sitting at the table noticed the strange looks on their faces and decided to go over to see what was going on.

"Brooke, it's Haley," she stated, knowing that it was best just to get to the point. Brooke felt her entire body go numb at the words. Her heart stopped as she listened to Karen's voice. "Your neighbor just called and said that there's a strange truck in your driveway and she heard screaming."

"Does she know…Oh God, is she…"

"I don't know." Everyone around Brooke could her the terror in Brooke's voice and see it on her face. Something bad was happening. Nathan watched Brooke's face carefully, fearing that it was about Haley. "I just send Dan over there to see what's going on. You need to get there as fast as possible." Brooke didn't need to hear anymore. She hung up the phone and tossed it to Lucas.

"What's going on?"

"My father's at home," she told them. She locked eyes with Nathan and saw the briefest flick of fear flash in his eyes, before the angry took over. Without a word, he grabbed her hand and pulled her in the direction of the door. It took the other three a moment to register what was going on before they quickly followed, grabbing Theresa and Tim on the way out the door.

--**I cannot stand being awake, the pain is too much.-**-

Dan quickly pulled up in front of the James house and turned off the car. He jumped out, slamming the door and run across the lawn. Just as he made it to the walkway, the front door burst open and Jimmy came out, with Haley struggling at his side. Den came to halt to process what was going on.

"Hey!" he yelled, his voice commanding attention. Both Jimmy and Haley were surprised to see him. Haley had no idea who this he was, but she had never been so happy to see someone in her entire life. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

"Who are you?" Jimmy asked, pulling Haley's body to his front. Dan found it heard to look at the poor girl. Her face was bloody and her clothes were torn. He could tell by the marks on her arms and legs that she had put up a fight. "You Grace's little boyfriend?"

"Let her go." He demanded. Jimmy shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. The sound sent a chill down Haley's spine as she felt his grip tighten around her neck. She closed her eyes as she felt her body being jerked forward, which meant her father was moving. She felt her body being thrown to the ground as the two men fought. She groaned as her body made impact and she felt her ribs crack again.

She finally opened her eyes just in time to see her father slam the other man's head through the window. She quickly shut her eyes again and she felt all the hope leave her body. So much for the heroic stranger coming to her rescue.

"Get your ass up," he father commanded, stalking over to her and grabbing her arm roughly to bring her to her feet. She struggled against him, fighting harder than she had ever fought before. He pulled her over to the car and forced to look at Dan's unconscious form on the ground. "Did you call this guy, huh? You know him?"

"No, I swear," she cried, her father throwing her against the car. She felt the broken glass of the window dig into her back and she had to grid her teeth to keep from screaming. If she screamed, he'd just hurt her worse.

"Shut up, you little whore." Realizing that he had to get out of there before someone called the police, he opened the back door of his truck and threw Haley inside and slammed the door. She didn't even have the strength to try to get to the other door to see if she could get out. Instead she stayed sprawled out in on the back seat, struggling for breath as the truck sped down the road and into the night.

**--OTH--**

I'm sorry if that wasn't good, but I really needed to write that chapter. I hope you guys aren't made that I kind of left it as a cliffhanger again, but that's where the chapter needed to end. And for those of you who were expecting Nathan to swoop in and save the day, that may or may not happen, but I can promise that if it does, it wouldn't be for a few chapters. I want to see where I can take this before you all start sending me hate mail.

Anyway, please tell me what you think.


	24. The Lights Always Red In the Rearview

_Author's Note:_ Hey, all. Thank you again for all of those amazing reviews. They mean so much to me. If it weren't for them, I wouldn't be updating this right now. Usually, I have two different scenes shown, but this one will probably just be of the gang, but I haven't decided yet. Anyway, please reply if you like it. Thanks.

**-OTH-**

--**Nothing is more frightening than what the mind can imagine. It is never good to be left alone with your thoughts for too long as they can sometimes take you to a place you would rather not know.--**

Brooke sat in the passenger side of Nathan's SUV as it was speeding down the roads of Tree Hill. She was trying her absolute hardest not to let the tears win out as she thought of all the horrible things that her father could possibly be doing to her sister. She couldn't bear to think about it. She knew her father would be pissed about Haley running away so it was pretty much guaranteed that this beating was going to be particularly burial.

She knew she shouldn't have left Haley alone in the house. There was just something inside of her that was telling her that something bad would happen, but as usual she ignored it and now Haley could be getting beaten to death. Brooke regretted the thought as soon as it floated into her head and she had to snap her eyes shut and clamp her mouth closed to keep from vomiting.

She silently swore to whatever God there was, and she was seriously doubting that there was one at this point, that if she laid one eye on her father, she was going to kill him. And she didn't mean yell at him or slap him, punch him or kick him in the balls. She was literally going to kill him. She was sick and tired of seeing her sister in the condition that she's in.

Every night for the past week, Haley had woken up in a cold sweat and crying because of a nightmare she had just had. It usually took Brooke almost a half an hour to get her to calm down enough to go back to sleep. It killed Brooke to have to listen to the agonizing cries from her sister, so if Brooke had the opportunity to bear any of that pain, she gladly invited it.

Brooke glanced over at Nathan to see that he was staring intently at the road in front of him, his hands clenching and unclenching the leather steering wheel. Brooke had never seen him so engrossed in anything before. In the many times that Brooke had driven with Nathan, he was this focused on driving. She could only guess that his thoughts were running along the same lines as her's were.

Just as Brooke guessed, Nathan's mind was completely focused on getting to Haley. There was nothing else that he was thinking about, besides getting his hands on Jimmy James. He wasn't sure exactly how far Jimmy was willing to take things with his daughter, but whatever it was, it was too far.

When Brooke had said that their father was at home, he felt all the air leave his body. Never in his life had such few words affected him so much. He could still remember the feeling of his stomach turning to lead and his heart stopping. It was a feeling that he hated and didn't want it coming back any time soon.

He shook his head, narrowing his eyes and focusing on the pavement that was under them. He couldn't think about this right now, it would only distract him. He needed to get them to Brooke's house in one piece and as soon as possible. Time was incredible precious to them right now. Haley's life was in the balance and that meant more to him then he ever thought it could.

Peyton watched her friends from her spot in the back seat. She could literally see the fear radiating off their bodies. She had only seen Nathan look this way one time before and that was before she and Jake hooked up, when her current boyfriend had threaten to hit her. Peyton had told the guys about it and Nathan went to pay him a visit. As mad as she was at him at the time for hitting her boyfriend, now when she looked back on it, it was probably the sweetest thing that anyone had ever done for her.

As for Brooke, she was a different story. Brooke was never one to wear her heart on her sleeve, so for her to be this easy to read, Peyton knew it had to be serious. Out of everyone in the car, besides Brooke, she knew the most about Haley's past and her run ins with her father. She knew that Haley and Nathan had talked about it, but she had seen it first hand. She had been there the night Brooke cleaned her sister up and Peyton could still remember every mark that was on her body. To this day it still made her sick.

"Why are we going to Brooke's house again?" Tim asked from his seat in the very back of the SUV. He and Theresa hadn't been informed on what was going on yet, all they knew was that there was some sort of emergency. Jake and Lucas hadn't told them the details, just that they needed to get in the car and shut up.

"There's trouble," was the only thing that Lucas would say. He was worried about Haley of course, but he was also worried about Brooke. From the looks of it, she couldn't take much more of this. Her father's actions were not only scaring Haley, but they were scaring Brooke as well. Ever since Haley had first called to tell Brooke about what Jimmy did to her, there had been nights that she would have nightmares about it. When Lucas asked what they were about, she would always just say that she couldn't remember, but things were starting to get a lot clearer for Lucas.

"We're almost there," Peyton said, speaking more to Brooke then to anyone. She felt Jake's arm slip around her waist and she sent him a gentle smile. He was being very quite about this, but she knew that he was just as upset over this as Lucas and Nathan were. Even though he looked calm, Peyton knew that when the time came, Jake would be right in there throwing punches. "Don't worry, Brooke."

"Not gonna happen." That was all Brooke would say. If she said anymore, she was sure to completely break down and that was not something that she needed right now. She refused to turn around to look at the blonde, instead kept her head forward. She felt her insides tighten when she realized that Nathan was turning onto her street. She wasn't sure what sight would be greeting them, but she just prayed with all her heart that it wasn't Haley's lifeless body sprawled out on the lawn.

"Oh, God," she heard Nathan gasp. She couldn't see for herself what was there because she didn't have the best eyes, but judging by his reaction, it couldn't be good. She felt the tears slowly brush through her eyelashes and roll down her cheeks.

--**Some decisions are made in a split second. If more people gave their actions more thought, there wouldn't be as many heroes in the world.** --

Before she knew what was happening, Nathan was pulling up in front of her house and everyone was filing out of the SUV. She felt herself go into autopilot as she followed everyone onto the lawn. Nathan and Lucas both immediately went to their father's side, catching to make sure he was still alive. Tim and Theresa stood there in complete shock, not believing what they were seeing and Jake was holding Peyton tightly to him as she watched the scene unfold in front of her.

Brooke didn't seem to notice Dan lying on the driveway in the middle of a pile of glass because she was too worried about her sister. She left her friends outside as she ran inside her house, looking through the whole place for any sign of her sister or father. She ran up to her room, but there was nothing in there. She ran back down to the living room and it was a completely mess. There was blood all over the floor and there was broken glass everywhere from different lamps and the coffee table.

Brooke suddenly found it incredible difficult to breathe and for a split second she thought she was going to pass out. The feeling passed as quickly as it came when she reminded herself that she needed to find her sister.

A familiar voice from outside broke her from her thoughts. She quickly moved out of the house, back outside and saw that they had a few new onlookers. She recognized most of the people as neighbours and the others were kids from school. She made her way over to where Nathan and Lucas were helping Dan sit up and knelt down beside them.

"She's gone," Brooke informed them in a numb tone. She hadn't completely let herself absorb the information, knowing that it would only do her and Haley more harm than good right now. She saw the devastated look in Nathan's eyes for the split second he looked at her before going back to helping Dan, who was just coming to.

"Dad, are you okay?" Nathan asked, looking down at his father. He was surprised to see his dad lying there on the driveway. For one, he knew neither Brooke nor Haley, not to mention the fact that he wasn't exactly the nicest guy in the world. Dan blinked a couple times, ignoring the shooting pain that shot through his head to look up at his son.

"Is my head in one piece?"

"Yeah," Nathan answered. Dan nodded and sat up completely, trying his best to ignore the fact that Lucas was on the other side of him. As good as it felt to know that his other son was concerned about him, he felt too guilty for his past actions to except his concerns.

"What are you doing here?" Lucas asked, trying to push away the feelings that were inside of him. He shouldn't be worried about Dan. Dan had done noting for him and yet Lucas felt some kind of loyalty towards the man.

"Your mother sent me," Dan answered, looking in Luke's general direction. "She told me what was going on, something about a girl and her father." Brooke's eyes wondered over Dan's bloody face. She felt bad seeing what happened to Dan when he was just trying to help Haley, but if Dan was this hurt, she didn't even want to think about what Haley must look like.

"Did you see which way they went?" Brooke asked, her voice cracking slightly as the tears continued to fall. Dan shook his head.

"He smashed my head in one of his windows," Dan explained, moving his hands over the glass that was all around him. "So I was knocked out. I guess that he took her with him wherever he went. She looked really beat up from what I saw." Before Brooke had a chance to ask any more questions, she heard a voice calling out her boyfriend's name from behind her.

"Lucas?" Joan's voice called as she pushed her way through the small crowd that had formed. Lucas looked up to see the familiar face of one of Karen's Café's most loyal customers. He stood up, leaving Dan in Nathan's hands.

"Mrs. Keys?" he asked. He totally forgot that she lived beside Brooke. She rushed forward and gave him a hug. He was unsure what to do so he hugged her back for a moment before pulling away. "What are you doing out here?"

"I'm the one that called your mom," she told him. "I saw everything." Lucas nodded, and led her over to where Brooke, Nathan and Dan were. Brooke and Nathan looked at the woman in confusion, not sure who she was.

"She saw what happened," he informed them. They both shot to their feet at her words and started questioning her at the same time. Joan retold her story, explaining about the truck and scream and then moving onto when Dan arrived.

"Do you know which way they went?"

"He took off down there," she answered, pointing in the direction that the truck had gone in. Brooke glanced over at Nathan and she could tell that he was thinking along the same lines as she was. Brooke grabbed Luke's hand and the three of them stalked back over to Nathan's SUV.

"Where are we going?" Lucas asked, surprised by the strength that his girlfriend was showing. They couldn't be doing what he thought they were doing, could they? Were they honestly considering going after them?

"I'm going to get my sister back," Brooke answered him. She said it loud enough so the others would hear. Peyton got the message and nodded, pulling Jake with her towards the SUV. Jake knew better to argue with the blonde and simply followed her into the backseat.

"Don't you think it would be better if we called the cops?" Lucas watched as Nathan and Brooke completely ignored his question and both got into the front seats. Brooke closed her door and looked out the window at him.

"We can't call them," she explained. "If they find out that my father is an unfit parent and my mother is raging bitch, then Haley gets sent into the system. That means I lose her."

"And it wouldn't look too good if I murderer someone in front of the cops, do you?" Nathan asked. He understood where his brother was coming from, but there was nothing Lucas could say that was going to convince him that going after Haley was the wrong thing to do. "You coming?"

Lucas looked between Brooke and Nathan and back to where Tim and Theresa were still standing. He knew that it wasn't a good idea to go after this creep by themselves, but he knew that what Brooke said was right. He also couldn't deny that Nathan's point didn't give him any satisfaction. He sighed and slumped his shoulders.

"Settle up," he mumbled, slipping into the back with Peyton and Jake. He slammed the door and looked expectantly at Nathan in the rear view mirror. "Well, what are you waiting for, man? Isn't it time to play hero?" Nathan didn't need anything else. He immediately started up his SUV and pulled into the street, taking off in the direction that Jimmy and Haley had went in.

**-OTH-**

Okay, I know that was pretty lame and I really don't have the energy right now to read this over. So if it sucks, which I'm pretty sure it does, I'm really sorry.

I have a great banner made for this story and I wish I could post it here, but I can't. So if you're interested in seeing it, just ask. It's made by the amazing Angiee.


	25. Desperately Close to a Coffin of Hope

_Author's Note:_ Hey everyone. It seems that you guys like the drama so I'm hoping I'll be able to provide more of that for you. I haven't yet decided how I want this Jimmy thing to end like, but I'm hoping I think of something good. Enjoy.

**-OTH-**

--**Feelings are not supposed to be logical. Dangerous is the man who has rationalized his emotions.**--

Peyton, Jake and Lucas watched from the backseat as Nathan and Brooke argued over the directions to Brooke's old house. Brooke was practically screaming the directions in the Nathan's face one after another and if Nathan couldn't remember them, Brooke would scream at him.

Jake and Lucas knew better than to say anything. Jake didn't think it was his place to begin with considering he wasn't extremely close to either of them and he didn't knew Haley at all. Lucas however, knew exactly how his brother and his girlfriend could get when it came to things like this and decided it was best for him not to get in the middle.

Peyton didn't seem to have the sense the two boys did. She understood that Brooke was stressed out about this whole thing, but if she didn't stop screaming at Nathan, he was going to crash the car and that wouldn't so any of them any good. She pushed herself off of her boyfriend and leaned forward so she could be heard over Brooke's loud voice.

"Brooke," she tried, but neither of her friends heard her. She sighed and tried again. "Brooke, come on." Brooke had momentarily stopped her ranting and heard the last part of what Peyton had said. "Brooke, you need to calm down…"

"Calm down?" she repeated as if it were the most ludicrous thing in the entire world. Did the blonde really thing she was going to calm down? Lucas and Jake shook their heads at Peyton's stupidity. "I am not going to calm down. My sister is out there somewhere with my father, who is doing God knows what to her and…"

"And screaming at Nathan isn't going to help." Peyton liked it better when Brooke was silent. On the car ride from the dance to her house, Brooke hadn't said a word and Peyton wished she'd go back to that. "Just tell him where to go and he'll get there." Brooke glared at her for a moment, telling her she didn't like it. Finally, she narrowed her eyes and turned towards Nathan.

"Drive until you get to a big arena and then turn left on Regal," she bit out. "I'll tell you were to go from there." Nathan nodded, but didn't say anything back. Brooke turned to look at the blonde behind her to see if that was nice enough for her. Peyton nodded and sat back in her seat. Brooke let out a groan and sat in silence for the rest of the ride.

Now that Brooke wasn't yelling at Nathan, she was left alone with her thoughts. That was the only reason she was screaming at Nathan, so she wouldn't have to think about all the things that could be happening to her sister. At least when she was screaming, she was distracted and she didn't have to think about it, but now that she was silent, that was all she could think about.

She had no idea where her father had taken Haley and she had no idea where to even start looking. So if Jimmy and Haley weren't at her old house, they were pretty much screwed. Brooke closed her eyes, trying to block out all the horrible imagines that were flooding her mind.

She was getting flashes of her father beating Haley till she couldn't breath. Brooke could picture everything in her head and it was making her sick to her stomach. What if they didn't get there in time? What if her father completely snapped and raped her again? Or ended up killing her?

Just thinking about all of this was starting to drive Brooke insane. She had to think of something else. She decided that it would be best if focused on what she was going to do to her father when she got a hold of him. She swore to whatever God there was that she was going to kill him.

"We're on Regal," Nathan's voice broke through her thoughts. "Where do I go now?" Brooke shook her head and looked around. She was surprised that they were there already. She must have been really lost in thought.

"Oh, um," Brooke started, trying to remember her way around. She hadn't been up here in two years, but things were starting to come back to her now. "Turn at the next stop sign and its number 47." Nathan nodded and sent his eyes back on the road ahead of him.

"Not to rain on the parade or anything," Lucas called from the back. "But do we actually think that they are going to be at your dad's house?" As much as Lucas hated saying it, he knew just as well as everyone else that they were going to have a hard time finding Haley.

"We'll find her."

"But what if…"

"We'll find her," Brooke repeated in a harsher tone. Lucas took the hint and shut his mouth. Peyton and Jake turned around and gave him a sympathetic look. Before they knew it, Nathan pulled the SUV into the house Brooke had told him to go to and they all filed out.

"Brooke, wait up," Nathan called after her. Brooke wasted absolutely no time as she jumped out of the truck and ran towards the front door of her old house. She tried the door and groaned when it was locked. She jiggled it for a few moments before giving up and reaching up to grab the spare key that was on top of the ledge. By the time the others reached her, she already had the door open and was half way up the stairs to her and Haley's room.

"Damn it," she screamed when it was empty. She already knew that they weren't there because her father's truck wasn't in the driveway and there was no other noise in the entire house. She walked over to Haley's bed and flopped down on it waiting for her friends to make their way up.

"Brooke?" she heard Lucas call from down the hall. She didn't bother calling back, figuring that they'd be able to find her on their own. Lucas was the first to enter, followed by Jake and Peyton, with Nathan coming in last.

"They aren't here," Peyton answered even though it was unnecessary. Lucas walked over and sat on the edge of the bed beside Brooke. Peyton and Jake moved towards Brooke's old bed and sat down so the faces the other two. Nathan walked around the room, looking at all the different pictured of Haley and Brooke from when she was little.

"So what do we do now?" Brooke looked up at Lucas, hoping he would magically have some answers for her. Before he could even say anything, they heard a knock at the font door and the sound of someone entering the house.

"Jimmy!" It was a woman's voice, but Brooke didn't recognize it as someone she would know from when she lived here. They all looked at each other and with strange consistency, they all headed towards the door at the same time. As they descended the stairs, they spotted a blonde woman standing at the front door. "Uh, hi."

"Hi," Brooke answered back. The motioned for the others to stay on the stairs and she walked the rest of the way to greet the woman at the door. She had no idea who this person was, but she looked like a nice enough woman. "Jimmy's not here. Who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Carol Hill," she answered, realizing she hadn't introduced herself. She reached forward and held her hand out for Brooke. Brooke nodded and shook her hand.

"Brooke James," she answered back. Carol's eyes widened at the name and she realized who she was talking to. Haley would always tell her about her sister, about how she was going to come and get her one day. "How do you know my father?"

"I've been seeing him on and off again for the part two years." She was a little ashamed to admit that she was dating someone as horrible as Jimmy, but she had her reasons. She knew what he did to Haley and she mostly just stuck around to make sure that Haley was okay. "You're the famous Brooke that Haley talks so much about."

"You're close with Haley?" Brooke asked. She tried to remember if her sister had ever mentioned this woman to her over the phone and she couldn't remember ever hearing anything about her. All she knew about her father's love life was that he seemed to have a new girlfriend every month.

"I guess," the blonde answered. "I know what Jimmy does to her, she's pretty much the only reason I'm still around. I'm scared of what might happen to her if I'm not here to distract him, you know." Brooke suddenly saw her in a whole knew light. There weren't many people in the world that could say they would do something like that for a girl they hardly knew.

"Thank you," Brooke told her, not knowing what else could be said. Carol nodded, understanding what Brooke meant by the statement. She smiled softly at the teenager and looked at the other four standing at the top of the stairs.

"What are you kids doing here?"

"We're looking for Haley and my dad," Brooke answered in a rush. She suddenly felt the overwhelming need to find them again now that the mystery woman had been identified. "Haley's been living with me for the last week and my dad came and took her away when she was home alone."

"Oh, God," Carol breathed. She had a really bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. She remembered what he used to tell her about what he would do if Haley ever thought about running away. It wasn't pretty.

"Yeah, apparently she was looking pretty beat up already," Brooke continued. She heard her friends coming down the stairs and soon she could feel the standing behind her. She felt Lucas slip his arm around her waist. Brooke looked up at Carol with pleading eyes. "Do you have any idea where he might have taken her?"

"He does have a cabin out in the Miller's forest," she answered, racking her brain for any possible places he would go. "He likes to go up there to hunt a lot." Brooke nodded her head and cursed herself for her own stupidity. Of course that was where he'd go.

"Right, okay." Brooke turned around and told the group to go get ready in the SUV because she knew exactly where they were going. Once they were all out of the house, she turned back to Carol. "Can you stay here? Just encase he comes back or something?" Carol nodded and Brooke pulled out her cell phone. After she gave Carol her number and thanked her for the help, Brooke was out the door and jumped into the passenger side of Nathan's SUV.

"So where are we going?" Nathan asked, looking at Brooke for the directions. As scared as he was to think about what might be happening to Haley, he was glad that they at least had a place to start looking. He had tried to remain clam this entire time, saving his rage and angry for when he gets his hands on Jimmy.

"Just follow my directions," Brooke told him. Nathan nodded, everyone buckled up and they were off in the direction that would hopefully lead them to Haley.

--**Silence is the most perfect expression of scorn.**--

A smile spread across Haley's face as her eyes fluttered open and she felt arms around her waist. At first she thought it was just Brooke because she was so used to sharing a bed with her sister, but when she leaned back, she felt a body that was defiantly not Brooke's.

The smile on her face widened as she recalled the previous night. She shifted in her position so she could face the figure that was wrapped around her. As peaceful as he looked, Haley couldn't resist reaching forward and kissing him softly on the lips. Haley giggled as he started to come out of his slumber.

"Hey," she spoke softly, snuggling closer to him. She felt him shift onto his back so she rested her head on his shoulder and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Sorry I woke you up."

"You can wake me up like that every morning," Nathan replied back in his sleepy tone. He looked down at Haley's head resting on his chest and he couldn't remember the last time he had felt this happy. He had woken up many mornings after a night of sex, but it had never felt like this before.

"I'll remember that for the next time." She spotted something white on his bare side and she wiped it up with her finger. She smiled when she realized what it was and stuck her finger in her mouth, enjoying the sweet taste.

"What are you eating?"

"You still had some whipped cream on your stomach," she answered, craning her neck back so she could see his face. She smiled sweetly up at him, some cream still on her lips. He laughed and leaned down so their noses were touching.

"You missed some," he informed her, rubbing their noses together. She laughed and brought their lips together in another sweet early morning kiss. When they pulled apart, Haley's mouth was completely clean.

"Mmmmm," Haley hummed. Her eyes were closed and she had a look of bliss on her face. She slowly opened her eyes to look into the deep blue ones staring back at her. The biggest smile came to her face. "Has anyone ever told you that you're really good at that?"

"Not someone as beautiful as you," he answered back with a smirk. He knew just what to say to make her go weak in the knees. Just like he planned, Haley looked adoringly at him and reached up for another kiss.

"What do you want for breakfast?"

"You." Her eyes light up in surprise for a moment before it turned to excitement. She giggled and rolled off him to look for something in her nightstand. "What are you looking for?" A moment later, she turned back to him, the object she was looking for in her hands.

"What's a little morning nookie without some whipped cream?" The smile on her lips quickly spread to his as he realized what she was saying. He narrowed his eyes at her a growled, moving out from under her so he was leaning over her. "Are you gonna eat off me this time?" Nathan chuckled and moved down to capture her lips with his.

Haley was jerked awake when Jimmy brought that car to a sudden halt. She was almost sent flying by the movement but she managed to stay on the seat. She could hear her father moving around outside and she tried to savor the last few remaining moments she would have of peace.

She tried to think about the sweet dream she had just had. She liked it there, it was nice and happy and safe. It wasn't like where she was now. Here she was in pain and it was only going to get worse. All she wanted was to go back where she was safe, in Nathan's arms.

She snapped her eyes shut when she heard her father's footsteps getting closer. Before she knew it, the back door was swung open and she could hear her father screaming at her. He grabbed her by the hair and yanked her out of the backseat.

"Ah!" she screamed when her body made contact with the hard ground. She could feel her ribs digging into her skin and she couldn't imagine that was good. There were way too many important things inside her that her ribs could puncture. She struggled as best she could she he dragged her along the ground, her back getting scratched up beyond belief.

"Would you shut the hell up, already?" he yelled at her. He had been screaming at her the entire ride. Every time she would make a noise, he would just hit her harder. She tried her best to hold it in, but it was just a reflex. She bit her lip as he tugged extra hard on her hair and she could taste blood almost immediately. She tried to stand up, hoping it would take some of the pressure off her hair, but her legs hurt too much. She was pretty sure at least one, if not both were broken.

"Please," she begged, but quickly stopped when she remembered that it would do her no good. She spit out the blood that was gathering in her mouth and looked around at her surroundings. From what she could see passed the tears, she recognized the place. She could swear she'd been there before.

Suddenly it dawned on here and she knew exactly were they were. They were at her father's cabin. They used to go there all the time when they were little. Her mom and dad would pack their things and they would go up there every weekend to go fishing and boating.

Haley felt a little hope rise up in her when she realized they were at the cabin by the lake. Brooke knew were this place and she was sure to check there, right? Brooke and Nathan and everyone else would come for her and she would be saved from her father forever.

Jimmy came to a stop in front of a tree. He tightened his hand full of hair for a second and tossed Haley towards the large oak. Not expecting the sudden action, Haley wasn't able to get her hands up in time and her head smacked against the hard wood. Haley tried to open her eyes and look around, but her vision was blurred. All she could see was her father closing in on her with something in his hand.

As she felt herself slipping into unconsciousness, she could have sworn she heard her sister's voice in the distance calling her name.

**-OTH-**

I'm sorry if that was lame, but that took me forever to write. I really get distracted easily. I really need to start writing without the television and MSN. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed and please reply to tell me what you think.


	26. She Goes Left and You Go Right

_Author's Note:_ Hello, faithful readers. I'm glad to see that you guys are still into this story. I still don't know what I want to happen, I have some ideas, but nothing is set in stone yet, you know. Hell, I don't even know how I want this chapter to go down. Usually, I know exactly what I want to happen, but I haven't figured that out yet. Anyway, I hope everyone had a great Christmas and a happy New Year. Please enjoy this chapter.

**-OTH-**

--**Fear is a powerful emotion. Man cannot be held responsible for the actions his fear leads him to do.--**

"I think we need a plan," Peyton suggested as she jumped down out of the SUV and into Jake's awaiting arms. Once he was sure that she had to feet firmly planted on the ground, he let her go and closed the door. Peyton brushed herself off and she and Jake walked over to join the rest of their group.

"A plan, you say?" Brooke snapped, wishing they would just hurry up and start looking. She didn't know what it was, but she just got this feeling that told her Haley was in this forest somewhere. "Well, I was thinking that we find that son of a bitch and kill him. How's that for a plan?"

"It's stellar, but not what I meant," Peyton answered back in a defensive tone. She knew Brooke was just enraged and scared, and she completely understands that, but snapping at people wasn't going to find Jimmy and Haley any sooner.

"Then explain yourself before I explode."

"I just meant that we should split up or something," Peyton answered, glaring at Brooke. The guys just stood back and watched, knowing better than to get involved with the girls when they were arguing. "You know, maybe find them faster?" Brooke gritted her teeth and returned the blonde's glare.

"Fine," Brooke answered, narrowing her eyes at Peyton again before spinning on her heels and turning to the boys. "So, I've decided that we're going to split up." Peyton sighed, but didn't say anything.

"Whatever," Nathan responded, his eyes darting all around the forest to see if he could spot any signs that they had been around here already. "Can we just decide who's going where and with who so we can find Haley?" Brooke raised an eyebrow at him, both surprised that he had the courage to snap at her in this situation and just a little bit proud that he was this worried about her sister, it really showed that he cared.

"Nathan, why don't you take the girls and me and Jake will go the other way?"

"I don't care," Nathan snapped at his brother. "Let's just go." The girls nodded, kissed their respective boyfriends farewell and went to stand beside Nathan.

"If you find them, call my cell," Brooke instated, turning around to look at Lucas and Jake. She pulled out her cell phone to show them and hooked it to the outside of her jeans.

"I don't think there'll be reception out…"

"Then yell, whatever," Brooke cut him off. "Just let us know somehow because I am going to be there to get in on the killing. Got it?" Both boys nodded and went on their way, going to the right of the SUV while the others were going to go to the left.

"Can we go now?" Nathan asked, his voice showing just how impatient he was becoming. All he could think about was the fact that the longer they stood there doing nothing, the more Haley was getting hurt. Just the thought that he didn't know if Haley was alive or dead, just made his skin crawl. He needed to get to Haley, and he needed to get to her now.

"Do not even start with me," Brooke warned him as she pushed past him and started walking in the direction of her father's cabin. She wasn't sure if he would go there, since it was kind of predictable, but she was hoping he wasn't thinking clearly and won't realize where he was going. Peyton shrugged at Nathan and quickly followed after her friend.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Nathan asked, stalking after them. He pushed some of the branches out of his way until he made it to the path where the girls were waiting for him.

"It means that you need to stop snapping at people and being such an ass about this whole thing." Without waiting for a reply, she grabbed a hold of Peyton's arm and started dragging her further up the path. "Haley!"

"Haley!" Peyton screamed out after her friend. She wasn't sure if screaming was the best idea, but it was the only thing they could think of anyway. She also wasn't sure if Nathan and Brooke getting into a fight was the best thing right now. She knew Brooke was just reacting to this the way she reacted to everything, but Nathan was the same way so he wasn't just going to sit back and take it like she had earlier.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Nathan questioned when he came to his senses. He watched the girls get further away before he jumped into action and ran after them. Once he reached their sides and grabbed Brooke's arm and spun her around. "What are you talking about? I'm being an ass? You were being a bitch."

"I have an excuse," Brooke argued back. She pulled her arm out of his grip and stared back at him. "I'm terrified for my sister's life." She shook her head and started walking away again. This time, Peyton stayed by his side, sensing that this conversation wasn't over.

"Hey, I'm just as worried as you," he called after her. Brooke immediately in her tracks, but didn't turn around. Peyton watched her stand there and braced herself for what was going to come next. She couldn't believe that Nathan was that clueless and arrogant to say something like that.

Brooke took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting her angry wash over her. She was already angry and scared enough as it was, what he just said only added to the matter. Did he honestly just say what she thought he said? Did he really think that little of her? She clenched her fist and turned around, walking back to him and Peyton slowly.

"Don't you dare," Brooke hissed, getting right into his face. "Don't you dare think for even a second that you are half as scared for her as I am, okay?" Before Nathan could protest, she pressed on. "She is my sister; my family. Before and after everything, it's me and her. She's been everything to me for the past seventeen years. You've known her what, a week?"

"That doesn't mean anything…"

"It means everything," she corrected him. "I understand that you two have this whole flirting thing going on, and I'm sure that it will turn into something eventually, but even then, it doesn't matter." She took another step forward. "What you and her have or could have is nothing compared to what she and I have. So get over yourself and help _me_ find _my_ sister."

"Ouch," Peyton whispered under her breath, as she saw the look on Nathan's face. He looked like he had just lost his best friend. She didn't think it was completely necessary for Brooke to yell at him like she had, but she did think she was right. She knew how Nathan was and sometimes he could get ahead of himself. He also sometimes had a tendency to care about people too much, too soon. She didn't doubt that he really liked Haley and was really worried for her safety, but Peyton couldn't believe that he thought his feelings about this situation were as important as Brooke's.

"What was that?" Peyton looked up to find Brooke's hard stare on her. She opened her mouth to say something, but quickly thought against it and snapped it shut. She shook her head and gave Brooke an uncomfortable smile. "Good." Not saying another word, she turned back around and continued down the familiar path.

--**Honesty is said to be the best policy, but it's still a bitch.**--

"Can you believe her?" Nathan whispered to the blonde beside him once he was sure that Brooke was out of earshot. Peyton shrugged and slowly started walking, knowing that Nathan would follow suite.

"Kinda, yeah," she answered hesitantly. She hated it when Brooke and Nathan got into fights because she usually ended up in the middle. It wasn't as bad for her as it is for Lucas, but she still felt torn sometimes. Nathan was really important to her, they had been friends forever, but Brooke was usually right in the argument.

"You think she's right?"

"You don't?" she countered. She understood that he was in the 'lovesick puppy dog' stage of his relationship with Haley, but he was really blind at the moment. She could tell from the beginning that this thing between him and Haley was different than any of the other relationships he had with women, thought that really only went so far.

"I love Haley…"

"You don't love her," Peyton said, stopping him before he could say anything else. She shook her head and if the person they were talking about wasn't in the bind she was currently in, she would have laughed out loud. "I believe that you think you do, but you really don't. Maybe you like her a lot, but you don't love her, Nathan. You can't fall in love with a person in the span of a week."

"Then why do I feel the way I do?" He was starting to regret asking Peyton about this. He was looking for someone to support him and understand him; he didn't want her putting him down and brushing his feelings aside as if they were nothing. "Huh? If I don't love her than why does my stomach do flip-flops every time I see her or talk to her? Why do my palms get sweaty whenever I think about her? How come every time I see one of Haley's bruises or scares all I want to do is kill her father and then hold her forever? If I don't love her, then how do you explain the things she does to me? What would you call it then?"

"Infatuation."

"Oh, please," he scoffed. He couldn't believe that Peyton was trying to write off his feelings like that. They had learned all about infatuation in school. It was just what the adults used to push aside all teenage relationships. They were so closed minded and arrogant to see that teenagers could fall in love too. "Come on, Peyton."

"Look, I know you don't want to hear it, but it's true." All of things that Nathan had said were signs of infatuation. And the last one about seeing her bruises, even she wanted to do the same thing. "I'm not saying that what you're feeling can't turn into love, but it's not there yet."

"You don't know what I feel," he mumbled. He hated when people talked to him as if he was dumb. He wasn't dumb, and he certainly didn't need some girl telling him what he was or was not feeling. Peyton sighed and regretted saying anything. She should have just nodded her head when he asked her.

"Look, Nathan…" Before she could continue, she was cut off by Brooke yelling at them. She rolled her eyes, tugged on his arm and walked towards Brooke's voice. They found Brooke standing just about ten feet away from her. "What?"

"My father's truck," she answered, pointing towards the back end she could see in the dark. Nathan and Peyton immediately, move forward to get a better look. Brooke pushed branches out of her way and moved to look in the front while the other two checked the bed in the back. "See anything?"

"Nothing."

"Oh, God," she gasped, looking in the window to the back seat. She quickly ripped the door open so she could get a better look. There was blood all over the white leather and the floor. Nathan and Peyton rushed to her side at the outburst and saw what had Brooke so scared. At the eight of the blood, Peyton had to cover her mouth from puking as she looked away. Nathan felt his knees go weak and he became light headed. For the first time that night, he entertained the thought that Haley might not be okay.

"_HALEY!_" Brooke screamed. She was not playing anymore, not that she ever was, but she was serious now. If they didn't find Haley soon, she was going to pass out from the fear. After seeing all that blood in the truck, she couldn't even begin to imagine how bad a shape her sister was in.

"Haley!" Peyton and Nathan both called at the same time. The group started moving further into the woods, trying to see where they were going in the dark. They continued to yell out her name, asking her to tell them where she was or telling her to at least say something.

Brooke let out a frustrated scream at the top of her lungs. She was going insane just thinking about what her father could be doing to her sister. Peyton watched helplessly as two of her best friends looked around frantically for Haley. They may be too far-gone in their denial to admit it, but she knew there was a very good chance that if they found Haley, she might not be alive.

This time their desperate screaming was drowned out by the sound of a gunshot in the near distance.

**-OTH-**

I hope that wasn't too lame. I know that it was kinda short, but I really wanted to get this update out to you guys. Please, tell me what you think. Thanks.


	27. How to Save A Life

_Author's Note:_ Hey, all. I hope you guys all had a good holiday and a safe New Year. It's now 2005 and nothing seems different to me. I'm just glad that this means OTH comes back really soon. I can't wait. Anyway, just to clear some things up about the last chapter; I didn't want you guys to get mad at Brooke or Peyton. The things I had them say are how I feel about the Nathan/Haley relationship at the moment. I read so many stories were they are head over heals in love within two days and it drives me insane. I just felt like telling you guys that I'm not going to make that happen in this fic. So, if you're going to be angry or annoyed with anyone, make it me. And as much as I'd like to prolong this hunt, I think it's time they found Haley, dead or alive. Enjoy.

**--OTH--**

--**The thing about reaching your destination is that you won't always like what you find.**--

Brooke felt her entire body freeze. The sound of the gunshot sending a bone-chilling shiver up her spin. She felt like she had just been kicked in the stomach. She whipped her head around to look at Peyton and Nathan, her face full of horror. Did she really just hear what she thought she head? Judging by the look on both their faces, she had heard correctly.

"Was that…" Before she could finish her sentence, she was cut off by the sound of a second gunshot cutting through the silence night. They three of them didn't waste anymore time as they all ran in the direction the shots had come from. Nathan was ahead of the girls, but Brooke and Peyton weren't far behind.

Brooke couldn't believe what was happening. She never thought that her father would actually kill Haley. She knew all the horrible things the he had done to her, and she knew she shouldn't have doubted just how sick he was, but there was just something inside her that didn't think he could do it.

She had been afraid that he would lose control and maybe kill her without realizing what he was really doing, but for him to literally pick up and gun and kill her in cold-blooded murder was beyond her belief. Then again, nothing should surprise her now.

Nathan pushed his way past all the trees in a blind panic. He could barely see, but he knew where he was going. There was something in his head and heart that was telling him that she was going in the right direction, he just hoped they could get there in time. He wasn't sure what condition Haley was in, so he wasn't sure how long he had. If those gunshots were any indication though, it wasn't long.

His glanced behind him to make sure that the girls were still behind him before continuing on. He was still upset with them for what they had said to him, but in his head he understood where they were coming from. Maybe he wasn't in love with Haley, he had never been in love with anyone before, but he certainly cared a great deal for her.

Nathan came to halt just behind a big bush when he heard something around the corner. Not having time to process his actions, Brooke slammed right into his back, Peyton then crashing into her. Brooke was about to yell at him, when turned around and held his finger to his lips in the universal sign of quiet.

"I think they're around the corner," he whispered. Brooke didn't give him a chance to say anything else, as she pushed passed him and looked around the tree. Her eyes widened and she glanced back at her friends in panic. Without a word, she darted away from them and towards her sister.

"Brooke!" Peyton screamed after her. Nathan grabbed a handful of Peyton's shirt and they quickly followed after Brooke. As they turned the corner, Nathan was surprised to see his brother on top of who he could only assume with Jimmy James. The two of them rolled around on the dirty ground in the heat of a fight, while Jake was kneeling beside Haley's unmoving body.

"Oh God," Nathan mumbled, his feet starting to move even faster. He let go of his hold on Peyton so he she wouldn't slow him down. He wasn't sure if he should help his brother or go to Haley's side when he got there. When he saw Jimmy land a hard punch to Luke's jaw, he knew where he was headed.

He was moving so fast that he even passed Brooke on her way to her sister. Just as he was getting there, Jimmy was shoving Lucas off of him and onto the ground. Without a second thought, Nathan dove at the older man, tackling him to the ground. They both landed with a thud against the cold dirt and rolled away from the others.

Brooke glanced at the fight that was progressing between her boyfriend, Nathan and her father, but she didn't give it a thought, as she saw her sister's bloody body on the ground. See knew Lucas and Nathan could take care of Jimmy and she was a lot more concerned about Haley's condition than either of theirs.

"Haley?" she called as she neared them. She couldn't tell from where she was if Haley was awake or unconscious, or even alive. Her stomach turned in disgust when she finally reached Jake's side and she saw how beaten up Haley was. She dropped to her knees at the sight.

She had thought she had gone over all the different possibilities in her mind, but nothing could have prepared her for what greeted her. Haley looked almost ten times worse than she did the night she came into the Café. Her face was completely bruised and bloody, her's eyes already swollen shut. Her shirt was completely ripped, including the bandages the doctors had wrapped around her for the broken ribs when they had visited the hospital, exposing her black and blue stomach. Brooke could just imagine the damage that had been caused to her already broken ribs.

The one thing that gave her a little hope was the fact that her sister's pants didn't seem to be ripped or damaged in anyway. The knowledge that her father hadn't violated Haley like that again, gave her a little comfort. She didn't know what she would have done if Haley had been raped again. She didn't think either of them would have been able to survive something like that.

"Is she…"

"She's breathing," Jake answered, already knowing what she was going to ask. He could clearly see the terror written all over Brooke's face, and he couldn't imagine what could be going through he mind as she saw her sister looking the way she did.

Brooke tore her gaze off Haley's face and looked up at Jake to make sure he wasn't lying or that she wasn't hearing things. Understanding what she was asking him, he nodded slowly and reached for her hand, bringing it to Haley's neck so she could feel for herself.

Brooke let out a breath she had been holding since she asked her question. She didn't think such a normal thing could ever make her feel this good. She felt half the weight lift off her shoulders when she felt Haley's pulse radiating against her fingers. That relief was almost overshadowed when she realized that there was still a chance Haley wouldn't make it.

"Oh my, God," Peyton whispered once she was finally standing behind Brooke. She couldn't bare to look at Haley's body for longer than a second without being overwhelmed with the urge to throw up. She has never seen someone look so bad, not even in the movies. Peyton knelt down beside Brooke and laid a hand on her shoulder.

"We have to call 911."

"I'll go," Peyton volunteered, happy to have an excuse to get away from the blood. She gave Brooke's shoulder a tight squeeze before getting to her feet, pulling out her cell phone and trying to get a signal. Brooke watched Peyton walk away and noticed her father's old hunting rifle lying on the ground just a few feet beside her. She slowly reached out and took a hold of it.

"Did he shoot her?" Brooke asked Jake, just now remember the shoots that had sent tremors through her body. Jake shook his head.

"It went off when Lucas tackled him," Jake explained, replaying the scene out in his mind. They had spotted Jimmy pointing the rifle at Haley and Lucas had tackled him just as he has pulled the trigger. "Nobody got hit."

"Thank God," Brooke mumbled. She felt a little bit more of the panic around her heart milt away at the new information. She reached out a trembling hand to touch Haley's cheek, being careful not to hurt her sister any further. When her hand was just millimeters from Haley's face, Jake was sent flying into her as Nathan and Jimmy crashed into them.

--**Some decisions must be made in a split second, but the consequences can last a lifetime.**--

"Damn it," Jake yelled, trying his best to keep everyone off of Haley's already broken form. He made sure he had a firm hold on Brooke so she wouldn't get hit from an out of control fist. "You okay?" When Brooke nodded, he patted her back quickly, before jumping to feet and going over to help Nathan out.

Once they had stopped rolling, Jimmy came out on top and was punching Nathan in the face. Before he could hit his second punch, Jake tackled him from the side, setting Nathan free and them tumbling on the ground again. Nathan didn't waste any time, getting to his feet and reentering the fray.

He jumped on Jimmy's back, his hands gaining a tight hold around his neck. He wasn't able to do much damage before Jimmy flipped him over, his body slamming to the ground. Finally being free for more than a minute, Jimmy reached down and pull out the already bloody knife from his boots. Nathan and Jake stopped any attempts they were thinking about making when they saw the shape object flashing in the moonlight.

Nathan's eyes widen at the sight and he held up his hands, showing the older man that he wasn't going to make any more advances.

Jake swallowed hard, his eyes locked on the small piece on mental that could do more damage than any fist could. He was never a big fighter; he always preferred to talk things out. It figured that the one time he got in a fight, it would turn out like this.

Peyton pushed her way through the trees, back to where her friends were. She froze when she saw the scene in front of her. She has been hoping that when she came back Nathan would have beaten Jimmy already. It wasn't until just then that she noticed her boyfriend has joined the fight at some point and was now at risk as well.

Lucas coughed quietly, spitting out the blood that was in his mouth from the open cut on his lip. He brought his jacket sleeve up to his mouth and wiped away some of the remaining red liquid that was still on his face. He pushed himself up on his elbow to watch the scene unfold. He didn't think that his brother would be slow enough to get stabbed, so he wasn't too worried about it.

What did worry him, however, was the sight of his girlfriend raising a hunting rifle and pointing it at her father's back.

"Brooke, no!"

BANG!

It was too late; she had already pulled the trigger. She wasn't thinking about the guilt that would come later, or the ways her life might change after she killed a person. All she was thinking about was the beaten and bloody body of her sister and the bloody knife in her father's hand.

Five pairs of eyes watched in completely fascination as Jimmy straightened out, arching his back and dropping the knife to the muddy grass. Time seemed to slow down as Jimmy's knees slowly gave way underneath him and his limp body landed face down on the sticks and stones.

"Oh, God." The reality of the situation finally hit Brooke and she dropped the rifle, bringing a hand to her cover her mouth. What had she done? Did she just kill someone? Not just someone, her own father? Nobody dared to say anything, afraid that Jimmy would jump up at any moment.

Finally deciding to break the silence, Peyton stepped forward, her shoes snapping a twig causing everyone to jump and look at her. She froze and held her hands up in surrender, letting them know it was just her.

"The ambulance is on its way."

**--OTH--**

I hope that wasn't too lame. I know it's short, but it's really late and I don't have time to write anymore because I've got to get to bed. It's school tomorrow. Yay. If you want to make me feel better, leave me some feedback and tell me what you think. Bye.


	28. We’re the Kids Who Feel Like Dead Ends

_Author's Note:_ Hey all. I'm sorry it's been so long. I didn't know where I wanted to go with this chapter and I just couldn't bring myself to sit down and write it. This chapter isn't that great, just so you're warned. Hope you enjoy it anyway.

**-OTH-**

-**The hardest and most boring part of the game is always the pre-game show.**-

Brooke's eyes followed Nathan's body as he paced back and forth in the hospital hallway. After Haley was whisked away into the emergency room and Lucas was taken into a room to get some stitches and a cast put on his arm, the doctors ordered the rest of the gang to stay in the waiting room.

Peyton and Jake were huddled together at the far end of the waiting room, Peyton asking Jake over and over again whether he was really okay or not. She knew that at some point her boyfriend had joined in on the fight so she was worried that he might have been hurt. After he reassured her a hundred times, she finally gave up and sat quietly and waited.

Nathan hadn't stopped moving since they got there. He was never good in situations like this, especially when it was someone as important to him as Haley was. As much as he tried to ignore it, he kept playing Brooke and Peyton's words over in his head, and each time he thought about it, the more he believed it.

Okay, maybe he was in love with her, not yet anyway, but that doesn't mean that he didn't have the potential to be. At least Peyton gave a reason and explained herself, saying somethings that Nathan actually agreed with, but Brooke? Her words cut through him like Jimmy's knife almost did.

He knew that Brooke wasn't his biggest fan, and he also knew that she didn't exactly want him to get with her sister, but there really wasn't any reason to be so harsh about his feelings. She had no idea what he was feeling towards Haley and the fact that she went as far as to say that he could never love Haley as much as she loved her, that hurt him.

"Nathan," Brooke called out, her voice much quieter and softer than it had been when she was speaking to him in the woods earlier. He didn't stop his movements, but he did look at her. "Could you stop, please? You're making me sick."

He had an evil remark on the tip of his tongue, but decided at the last minute that she was going through enough as it was, he didn't need to add to it. As much as he was worried and hurting over this, and as much as he hated to admit it, he knew that Brooke was hurting a lot more.

"Yeah, okay," he mumbled, shuffling his feet towards the nearest chair. He plopped down in the one beside her and sighed. She gave him a sad smile in thanks and went back to staring at the wall across from her.

She couldn't feel anything inside of her; she was in complete shock. The thing highest on her list was of course the state her sister was in, but she was also worried about her father. The paramedics said that he was still alive when they arrived and they rushed him to the hospital in a second ambulance.

There was a huge part of her, if not all of her that really wished he was dead, she just didn't want to be the person responsible for it. Just the thought that she was capable of taking another human beings life was very disturbing for her. It didn't matter that he was an evil bastard that deserved to die, just not at the hands of her.

Then she thought about the way her sister looked when she saw her on the ground in the forest, or the way she looked on the ride over to the hospital and all of a sudden Brooke's proud of what she did. Even though she knows that she shouldn't have done it and will probably be dealing with the aftermath for a long time to come, she thinks that if she could go back in time, she wouldn't change the decision she made.

"She'll be okay," Nathan whispered in a low, almost raspy voice, like he was on the verge of tears even though he wasn't. Before she had a chance to say anything, she felt Nathan slip his hand into her's and squeeze it lightly. Brooke slowly turned to look at him and smiled sadly at him once again and nodded her head.

"I hope so," she whispered back. Nathan squeezed her hand again. The pair sat in silence, both too lost in their own thoughts to have the time to console each other. It wasn't long until Lucas pushed his way through the doors of his room and entered the waiting room with a slight smile on his face, hoping that the sight of him alive and well would help to relieve some of the stress of the moment.

"Hey."

"Lucas." Brooke rushed to him and practically jumped into his arms. He let out a puff of air at the contact, and even though it hurt for her to be putting so much pressure on his weak body, he held on to her tightly.

"Hey, sweetie," he greeted her, kissing her softly on the hair. After a moment, she dropped out of his arms and gave the brothers a chance to hug. Nathan nodded towards Lucas and gave him a huge hug and pat on the back.

"I'm glad you're okay, man."

"You too, bro." The boys separated and the three moved over to join Jake and Peyton at their end of the room. Both Peyton and Jake gave Lucas a hug, telling him that they were good to see that he was okay.

"I guess basketball is out of the question for a while," Jake pointed out, voicing the thing that most of them were thinking. Brooke looked at Lucas, checking to see if he was upset about it. Lucas shrugged.

"There are more important things," he mused. Brooke smiled at him, glad to see that she had such a great boyfriend. Lucas loved basketball, and it sucked that he might never be able to play as well as he used to, but he saved Haley's life. That was a lot more valuable than an ability to throw a ball through a hoop.

"I love you," Brooke murmured, burying her face in Luke's shirt. The group shared quick moment of happiness until the reality of the situation hit them and they remembered that things still weren't even close to over.

-**The mind and the heart will never see eye to eye.**-

"Excuse me?" came a voice from behind them. Nathan, Lucas and Brooke all turned around to find a police officer and a doctor standing side by side. Brooke's heart skipped a beat when she thought that they were there to tell her about Haley, but she soon realized that it more likely about her father.

"Yes, officer?"

"Are either of you girls Brooke James?" Brooke mentally cursed and nodded, stepping out of Luke's arms and moving towards the two men. "Come with us Miss." She nodded at her friends to let them know that she would be back in a few minutes before following them around the corner.

"Is this about my father or my sister?" Brooke asked as soon as they were out of hearing range of her friends. She loved her friends to death, but she didn't really want any of them to see her break down right now. The shock was starting to wear off and the relief of seeing Lucas in one piece was definitely overshadowed by the fear for Haley.

"Your sister is still being looked at," the doctor answered before the cop had a chance to. He could tell that she wasn't in the mood to be coddled; all she wanted was straight facts. Judging by the look on her face, he didn't think that this was the first time that something like this had ever happened. "They still might be a while."

"Then it's my father," Brooke was able to conclude herself. The doctor nodded and began to flip through the folder that he was holding in his hands. Brooke watched him nervously, her eyes shifting between him and the cop to his left. "Is he alive?"

"Yes," the doctor answered. Brooke's eyes widened in surprise; she thought for sure that she had killed him. She had just had a feeling in the pit of her stomach that they would never have to deal with him again. The doctor let out a breath and held out his hand. "I'm Dr. Lance Davidson."

"Okay."

"The shot fired hit your father in the back of his shoulder," he explained, lifting his hand up to point to the area he was referring to. Brooke nodded her head dumbly, both relieved and disappointed at the news of her father's state. "There was a lot of bleeding and tearing, but he will pull through just fine."

"Just fine," Brooke muttered under her breath. Lance wasn't aware of the full situation. Lance looked at her strangely, glancing at the man to his left quickly before continuing with his information.

"He should be fine after a few nights here," he explained, closing his folder and shoving it under his arm. "We have him hooked up to all the machines necessary. He's knocked out right now, but he should wake up sometime in the next five hours or so. He's staying in room 314 if you'd like to see him."

"Yeah, okay," she shot out sarcastically. Was this doctor mentally retarded or something? Couldn't he out two and two together and understand what was going on with her family?

"Are you done here, Dr?" the officer asked, sensing that Brooke was about to blow up. He hadn't gotten a chance to talk to any of the kids that had been involved in the incident, but he had seen enough cases like this to understand what was going on. Lance nodded. He smiled at Brooke and slipped past her, disappearing down the hallway.

"Thanks," Brooke muttered, smiling gratefully up at him. "If I had to listen to him talk about my father like he was a saint for another second I might have killed him. The officer laughed and nodded his head. He held out his hand.

"I'm Eric Crawford," he introduced himself. She shook his hand, deciding that she liked him better than the doctor. "Just so I have this straight; your sister is Haley James, one of the victims and your father is Jimmy James, the…"

"Rapist," she filled in. He was a bit surprised at her bluntness, but didn't saw anything. He cleared his throat and nodded, pulling out a pen from his chest pocket and taking out his notepad. "I take it you're here to ask how my father ended up getting shoot?"

"Yes, actually," he answered, pressing the top of the pen and preparing to write down anything she had to say. Brooke eyed him, trying to decide what she should say. There wasn't anything she could say to get her out of this, so she figured the truth was really her only option.

"I shot him," she answered. Eric immediately snapped his head up and looked at her in surprise. He wasn't sure what was more surprising; the fact that she did it or the fact that she admitted it. He searched her eyes and face, looking for any sign of evilness or intent. The only thing he saw was a scared little girl that just wanted everything to stop. There was no way that she did it out of cold blood.

"And it was an accident?" Brooke swallowed and shook her head. She didn't know why, but she got the feeling that everything would be fine, in regards to the situation with her father anyway. Haley; she wasn't so sure about.

"He had a knife," Brooke explained. "My friends were on the ground in front of him. I was scared and his gun was already in my hands. I shoot without thinking." He could understand that.

"Did he give you any indication that he intended on using the knife?" If it were up to him, he would let her go. There was no way that this little girl could viciously try to kill her father without a reason, but it was procedure. He had to ask the questions.

"Other than the fact that he had it in his hand and was staring at them like he was going to kill them, you mean?"

"Has he ever done anything that would make you believe that he'd actually hurt them?" He felt like an idiot even asking this question, but he had to. There was just something about his job he hated. Brooke could tell that he was only asking because he had to. There was no way that he could be that stupid.

"My sister was lying right beside me," she answered. "If he could hurt her, I knew he wouldn't have a problem hurting them." Eric nodded, jotted a few things down quickly on his pad before putting the paper and pen back where they were supposed to go.

"Well, I guess that's all I have to ask you for now." Brooke was about to comment on that statement, but decided that she didn't want to talk about this anymore. She smiled sadly at him. "Here's my card," he told her as he pulled one out from his chest pocket and handed it to her. "If you remember anything else, or want to talk, just give me a call."

"Okay." Eric started to walk away until he remembered something and turned back around to ask her.

"I take it you'll be staying her for awhile?"

"As long as Haley's here," she answered. She knew she wouldn't get away with this that easily. She knew how legal matters worked. Eric nodded.

"Okay, well there should be another officer coming around sometime," he explained, looking around as if that officer was there somewhere. "He'll be coming by later to get everyone's official statements."

"That's fine." With one last nod, Eric left Brooke allowed. Nathan spotted him walk back into the waiting room and immediately went in search for Brooke to see if she had any information on Haley's condition. He spotted Brooke leaning against a wall with her head in her hands.

"Brooke?" he called out, he voice laced with concern and fear. She snapped out of her trace and looked up at him, surprised that he had made it right beside her without her hearing him sooner. She couldn't help but noticed how worried he looked. "Is she…"

"It was about my dad," she cut him off, not wanting him to get his hopes up about the information. His mouth opened slightly and then closed. He wasn't sure whether he should be relieved or disappointed. As much as the wait for info was killing him, if she wasn't okay, he'd rather not know.

"Oh."

"Yeah," she mumbled, knowing exactly how he was feeling. She stood in silence for a moment, both thinking about what Haley's condition might be. Not being able to take it anymore, Brooke spoke up. "Did Luke call Karen yet?"

"I don't think so," Nathan answered, surprised at the sudden question. The whole group had just been standing in silence since Brooke had left, so unless he called before getting looked at by the doctors then Karen still didn't know anything.

"He should call her," Brooke decided. Nathan watched as she went back into her shocked state. Things were getting much too real for her again and she couldn't deal with them all at once right now. As long as she didn't think about what Haley looked like out in the forest, or what the doctors could be doing to her right now, then she was okay. She was able to breath without completely breaking down.

"Brooke…" He knew that once she got like this, she wouldn't come out for a while. It was much better if she cried or yelled when she was upset. Locking everything up would only make matters worse.

"I should call Carol, too," Brooke interrupted him as if she didn't even notice he had said anything. "She's probably really worried by now. I'll go do that." Without waiting for his reply, she walked away and towards the payphones.

"Great," he muttered, watching her walk away. He didn't know how much longer he could wait, but he knew that Brooke was going to snap pretty soon. They needed news and they needed it now. He just hoped that when they got the news, it was good.

**-OTH-**

I'm sorry that chapter wasn't as good as they usually are. There wasn't really much I could do here, so it's kind of a transition chapter. Believe me, I hate writing them as much as you hate reading them. I'm hoping to speed things along more in upcoming chapters, trust me. Anyway, please tell me what you think. Thanks.


	29. When the World Is Crashing Down

_Author's Note:_ Hey, all. I know that it's been a while, but I hope I can make it up to you guys with an update. I can't promise that it'll be anything great, but hopefully I won't disappoint you. I'm not sure if you guys read the AN just two posts up, but I think I'm going to try to get a flashback worked in here somewhere, but I'm not sure. Maybe I'll get a few. Who knows?

**-OTH-**

-**Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse kind of suffering.**-

Brooke stood in front of the payphone, staring at the large silver buttons. She didn't know what was wrong with her, but it was almost like she couldn't feel anything. She was so scared for Haley and so much in shock over what had happened with her father, that she had retreated back into herself.

She couldn't remember the last time this had happened to her. Usually, when something bad happened, it would take hours to calm her down. Like when she first found out about Haley's situation with their dad, it had taken Haley almost two hours to get her to stop crying.

It was safer in her head. She didn't have to face the reality of the situation. In her head, Haley was perfectly fine and they were never separated. Their parents were still happily married and they were the perfect family with a white picket fence living in Tree Hill with all of her friends. She and Haley were both happy dating Lucas and Nathan and the whole gang was going to go to college together.

In the real world, Haley was dying on some operating table, and she hadn't seen her in two years. The only thing her parents could agree on was ruining their daughters' lives and their family couldn't stand to be in the same town let alone in the same house. Haley would probably never be able to date someone with this whole thing hanging over her head and in a couple of years, she would have to start over again and make new friends.

As if moving on autopilot only, Brooke slowly reached forward and picked up the phone, placing it to her ear. She fought to remember her old home number, never having to use it over the past couple of years, and when she remembered it, she waited for someone to pick up.

"Hello?" came the voice on the other end after only one ring. If Brooke didn't know any better, she'd think Carol was just as worried as she was. "Jimmy, is that you?"

"We found them," Brooke answered, her voice cracking a bit. Looks like this whole numb thing wasn't going to work after all. She should have known that her mind wasn't going to give her the luxury for too long. She was too much into self punishment.

"Brooke?" Carol asked, not sure whether she should be excited about getting news. She had been sitting in the kitchen in the dark for at least an hour waiting for someone, anyone to call with an update. Now, she wasn't so sure she wanted news. "Did you find Haley?"

"We're at the hospital," Brooke got out passed the lump that was stating to form in her throat. Great, now she was going to start crying. Just what she needed. She prayed for the numbness to come back. "Just come down."

"Brooke, wait…" Without giving Carol time to ask any more questions, Brooke quickly hung up the phone before she started to cry. She didn't know why she was suddenly starting to lose it, but it wad like all these walls were spilling over. If she didn't hear news about Haley soon, she was going to die.

Brooke leaned against the wall for supported, trying her best to keep her emotions in check. She could tell that her friends were watching her and she knew it was only a matter of moments before Lucas or Peyton came over to see how she was and she didn't think she could handle that. She hated breaking down in public; she was supposed to be the strong sister, not the emotional one – that was Haley's role.

Haley. She brought her hand to her mouth to smother the sob that threatened to escape and she quickly ran to the washroom. It wasn't empty like she had hoped, but there was only a little girl and her mother in there. She ignored their stares and pushed open the door to the nearest stall.

She had just enough sense to swing the door close before collapsing to the cold titled floor and leaning over the toilet. She felt her insides contract as she forced herself to drain the little liquids that were in her body. Finally, the dry heaves were causing more damage then good and she pulled back.

She spit once more into the toilet, hoping to get some of the horrible taste out of her mouth. She painfully swallowed once more and flushed the toilet. She coughed twice and collapsed against the brick wall, resting her head against the cold surface. Finally, she let the sobs rack her body in the silence of the washroom.

-**Friendship is a strong and habitual inclination in two persons to promote the good and happiness of one another.**-

Lucas, Peyton, Jake and Nathan sat in silence, watching as Brooke finally broke down and ran towards the washroom. They all knew it was coming; Brooke couldn't shut the world out forever. Though, they had to admit, it came a lot sooner than they thought it would.

Lucas and Peyton shared a look, silently debating who should be the one to go see how she was doing. Out of the entire group, Brooke was definitely closest to the two of them. As much as Peyton wished she could help her friend, she knew that she wouldn't be able to handle the emotional mess Brooke would be in. Peyton wasn't good with that kind of stuff.

Before Lucas had a chance to stand up however, Nathan was on his feet, already moving towards the washroom. Lucas, Peyton and Jake watched him in confusion, trying to figure out what he was doing.

"I'm gonna go check on her," he answered, not looking back at his friends. He knew that he would probably be the last person Brooke would expect to see, but he felt that he could be the best person to help her with this. After all, other than her, he was the one most worried about Haley.

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Lucas asked. Judging from what he heard happened between the two of them after the group had split up, Brooke didn't want to see Nathan right now.

"Luke," Peyton warned, stopping him from getting up. She understood why Brooke was angry with Nathan, but she also understood where Nathan was coming from. She may have said some things in the woods that were out of line, but she did believe them. She also believe that Nathan genuinely did care about Haley.

"But Peyton, come on…"

"Trust me," she told him. He sighed and nodded, letting his little brother go and comfort his girlfriend. He didn't understand why he thought it was a good idea, but if Peyton was telling him it was okay, there wasn't much he could do. Some things he just didn't understand.

Nathan pretended not to hear them and continued to the washroom. He didn't know why he thought he'd be the best person to check on her, but he just knew that neither Peyton nor Lucas would be able to understand what Brooke was going through. Not that he knew what she was going through, but he understood it better than those two.

He may not be as close with Brooke as they are, but they weren't as close with Haley as he was. What Brooke needed now was someone to talk to about Haley, not someone to talk to about herself. And that was why he was going to check up on her.

He took a deep breath and slowly pushed open the door. He was opening that it would be empty because it was a little weird to be in the girls' washroom when there were women in there. Unfortunately, the little girl and her mother were still in there. The little girl seemed kind of confused and the mother was looking concerned at the stall Brooke was in.

Her sobs greeted him as soon as he entered and he understood why the woman had wanted to stay to make that she was all right. As soon as the little girl spotted him, she tugged on her mother's coat sleeve and pointed at him.

"Mommy," she called up. Her mother finally noticed Nathan's presence in the washroom when she tore her gaze from the stall door. "Look at that man. How come there's a boy allowed in here?"

"I think he's here to help the sad girl," the mother explained. She quickly took a hold of her daughter's hand and gathered their things, moving towards the door. She and Nathan shared a look and a nod before she disappeared, leaving him alone in the washroom with Brooke. He turned around and locked the door to keep anyone else from coming in.

"Brooke?" She didn't say anything, but her cries seemed to lower in volume at his presence. He took slow, light steps to the stall. He could hear her trying to control herself on the other side. He knocked quietly, but didn't wait for a answer before pushing the door open. "Hey."

"Hey," she whispered, wiping at her eyes furiously with her sleeve. She didn't know how, but she somehow knew that Nathan was going to be the one to come in. As much as she didn't want to talk about this, nor cry in front of anyone, she knew that Nathan wasn't going to leave. He was probably the most stubborn person she knew, other than herself.

"Mind if I sit?" She nodded, sniffling and slid over some so there was enough room for him to sit down. He closed the stall door so there was more room for him and slowly crouched down and mirrored her position, leaning against the wall. They sat in silence for a little bit. "So."

"So," she repeated. She was still crying slightly, but she was starting to get it under control. As long as she didn't think about Haley or the possibility of Haley not being okay the she could be all right. Nathan glanced at her through the corner of his eye.

"How come the girls washroom is so much cleaner than the guys?" he asked, hoping to break the ice. As much as it hurt, and as impossible as it seemed, Brooke laughed. Nathan smirked and looked at her in relief, glad that she hadn't completely gone off the deep end.

"Because guys are pigs," she answered in a playful tone. The fact that she had just been crying was clearly evident in her voice. She sniffled again and ran a hand through her hair before turning to look at Nathan with watery eyes. "So you drew the short straw?"

"Huh?"

"To come and check on me," she explained. She knew that he wasn't forced to come check on her, if anything Lucas tried to stop him, but she still felt like it was some way forced.

"Nah, I volunteered," he answered, waving the mere thought away with a wave of his hand. He could tell that she was just joking, but he felt the need to make sure that she knew he wanted to be there. "I mean, those fools don't know anything about our Haley. Though, according to you, I don't either."

"Nate, I'm sorry about that," she quickly reassured him. He shook his head and tried to stop her, but she ignored him and continued. She felt kind of bad about the way she had acted out there, but she didn't put all the blame on herself, it was the situation and she knew that anyone else would've reacted the exact same way.

"Listen, forget about it…"

"No, that was really out of line," she stated. "I was just so worried about Hales and no offense, but you were driving me insane." He smiled at her and didn't take offense to it. She had been driving him insane too, but he figured he shouldn't mention that. "All our lives, I've really been the only one that cared about Haley at all, with the exception of our grandma, and I guess I just forgot that there might be someone else upset about the whole thing."

"I get that, I do," Nathan assured her. He had thought a lot about what Peyton and Brooke had said to him, it was all he could think, and he got what they were saying. "Maybe I'm not in love with Haley, not yet anyway, but I do really care about her, a lot, and I hope you know that."

"Yeah," she nodded. She didn't know why, but the thought of them together hurt her. It wasn't about Nathan treating her badly or breaking her heart, because for some reason she knew that wasn't going to happen. It was something else. "I know."

"You do?"

"I guess I just forgot how lovable Haley can be," she answered with a sad smile. "I thought that there was no way you could fall for her in such a short time, but with Haley… anything is possible." Nathan could sense her mood change again. He looked over at her to find her staring at the floor, tears forming in her eyes again.

"Brooke?" he asked gently. She looked up at him as her faces contorted as the tears burst through and rolled down her face. She let out a sob before her hand had time to cover it. The only thing Nathan could do was wrap his arms around her and pull her towards him. She allowed the motion and buried her face in his chest.

"She has to be okay, Nathan," she sobbed, her words barely audible through her cries. "God, she has to. She's the only thing I've got." Nathan didn't say anything, he couldn't. He just ran his hands over her hair, kissed her head and held her tighter. They stayed like that for what felt like forever until there was a knock at the door.

"Guys?" It was Peyton. He could hear the hesitance in her voice. "There's a doctor out here. He has news about Haley." Brooke pulled back and looked up at him, silently asking if he thought it would be good news. He smiled sadly at her, and brought them to their feet. They walked out of the stall and were just outside the door when Brooke stopped and turned to Nathan.

"What if it's bad news?" she asked suddenly. Searched his eyes for the answers she knew weren't going to be there.

"Then we'll deal with it together," he told her. Her face fell. That was not the answer she was looking for, but he needed to tell her the truth. There wasn't time for lies and reassurances right now. All the answers they needed were right outside that door. "You ready?"

"Hold my hand?" she asked, her voice so small that Nathan would never have been able to deny her. He nodded and slipped his bigger hand over hers. He squeezed it and reached for the door handle. He unlocked it and opened it to revel Peyton.

"He's right over there," she informed them. She found it hard to look at Brooke when she looked as broken as she did. Brooke glanced at her friend quickly and nodded. She took a deep, looked up at Nathan and began her walk over to where the doctor was talking to her boyfriend.

"Just breathe," Nathan whispered to her when he heard her trying to catch her breath. He needed to focus on helping Brooke through this because he couldn't deal with his own emotions about this whole thing. If he thought about it, he'd go crazy and that wouldn't do anybody any good.

"Are you Brooke James?" the doctor asked her when they approached. She nodded silently and squeezed Nathan's hand for support. He looked down at her sympathetically and removed his glasses. "I've got some news about your sister."

**-OTH-**

Okay, that's all. I know, I know, there were no flashbacks or answers. I'm sorry to leave you guys hanging like that again, but I still need some time to figure out what I want to happen to Haley. I'll try to update sooner next time. Please tell me what you guys think.


	30. You Look So Good In Blue

_Author's Note:_ Hey, all. Thanks for all the great reviews, they really mean a lot to me and believe it or not, they do get me to update faster. I just have so much stuff going on right now and sometimes I'm just not in the mood to write. I finally sat my ass down though, and forced myself to write. Hope you enjoy. I'm hoping that this one will get a little darker, probably towards the end. I'm going to attempt it anyway. Please don't forget to reply. Thanks.

**-OTH-**

-**We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope.**-

Brooke wasn't sure what she should be thinking. The doctor's words were like a blow to her chest. On one hand, if she didn't find out about Haley soon she was sure to completely lose it, but on the other hand, she was terrified of what the doctor would say. At least if she didn't know, then she could continue to pretend that everything was still okay.

She relaxed a tiny bit when she felt Nathan tighten his hold on her hand. She was glad that he was there with her when she got the news, she didn't think she would be able to deal with this on her own. If he wasn't there, standing right beside her, she more than likely would have passed out by now.

She didn't have to look behind her to know that her friends were also there. They knew better than to intrude on this moment, so they stayed further back, but probably close enough to hear the verdict. They were there if she needed them, and that's all that Brooke needed to know. She had great friends in Tree Hill, much better ones than the ones she had in Charleston.

"Okay, doc," she breathed out, trying her best to keep her voice level. She was surprised at how confident she sounded; she had expected her voice to come out unsteady and shaky. Just like she felt. She took a deep breath and gripped Nathan's hand even tighter than she already was. "What's the verdict?"

Nathan had never been more nervous about anything in his entire life. It felt like he just met Haley, which he had, and he didn't want to lose her already. He wasn't ready to say goodbye. He was lucky enough to not have much experience with death, but he remembered exactly how Peyton reacted to her mom's passing, and it didn't look fun. He didn't want himself or Brooke to have to go through what Peyton had when she was younger.

"Is she okay?" he added in, wanting to make sure that the doctor knew that he was there as well. The doctor glanced in his direction for a moment before quickly looking back at Brooke, as if Nathan didn't exist at all. It took all his self control not to call the man on it.

"Your sister suffered multiple major injuries," the doctor started to explain, looking directly at Brooke. "There was more than one serious blow to the head, and her already injured ribs were almost unfixable." Brooke felt her mouth go dry and she was sure that all the blood had drained from her face. "We just brought her out of surgery and luckily, we were able to stop most of the major internal bleeding that her fractured ribs had caused…"

"So she's alive?" Brooke asked, her brain suddenly snapping back into gear. For a second there, she could feel herself starting to daze off. All of this information was starting to become overwhelming. Nathan's eyes darted towards the doctor as he too awaited the news.

"She's alive," the doctor confirmed. Five collective sighs of relief could be heard in the waiting room. Brooke's eyes immediately light up at the news for a moment before they became dull again just as quickly when she remembered that Haley wasn't out of the woods yet. "We've moved her into a room for now in ICU until we get a more permanent room set up for her."

"P…permanent?" Brooke choked out, the little excitement she had just been feeling almost completely being washed away. Permanent? What the hell was that supposed to mean? How long was Haley going to be staying here, exactly? Nathan let go of her hand and draped his arm over her shoulder, pulling her smaller body against his for support.

"I'm sorry," the doctor replied, reaching up and pushing his glasses up so they were resting on the top of her head. "I shouldn't have said permanent. She's not going to be staying here for a month or anything, but we will need to keep her here for a week or two until we're sure that she'll be able to breath and get around on her own."

"What exactly is her condition?" Nathan wanted this to be completely clear. He knew that Brooke was dying to know and the doctor still hadn't told them yet. He watched as the man sighed and brought his glasses back to his eyes so he could read the clipboard in his hands.

"You want the list of all her injures?" Despite her common sense, Brooke nodded her head and leaned closer to Nathan. The doctor sighed. "Okay, well, to start off on her minor ones, Haley sustained an incredible amount of lacerations to her body, but mostly to her back. We've stitched up the ones that needed it and hopefully not all of them will scar. If they do we can give you a number of a good cosmetic surgeon to call encase she wants to have the visible ones fixed, like the ones on her arms or her face."

All of this was too much for Brooke to handle. She could feel herself starting to shut down against, but she fought against it with everything in her. Haley needed her right now, she needed her to be strong and be there for her. She wouldn't do Haley any good if she was in shock.

"She had a rather nasty break to her right arm," he continued as if the list were never ending. Brooke was starting to think that he had practiced this. "I'm not sure what would have caused it, but it will definitely take longer to heal than a normal break would take. She dislocated her right knee as well, but her left one wasn't so lucky. She did break it, but luckily it was a pretty clean break so that one should heal just fine."

"There's more?"

"Those ribs served to be quite a problem." He took a breath and squeezed the bridge of his nose, hoping to relieve some of the stress of the situation. "In all my years as a doctor at this hospital, I don't think I've ever seen so much damage to a person's ribs before."

"Haley always did have to show off," Brooke mumbled under her breath. Everyone chose to ignore her comment.

"The broken pieces did manage to damage some of her internal organs, but we were able to repair all of those." Nathan tried to listen to the doctor's words, but his mind was starting to wander elsewhere. From the moment he said she as alive, he had been wishing he could be in her room with her already. "She is having some difficulties breathing by herself, which is natural after what she's been through."

"Can we see her?" Nathan asked, finally finding his voice. He had been dying to ask that since the doctor started. Just the thought of Haley being all alone in that cold, empty room was enough to make him want to rush to her side, take her in his arms and never let go.

"The nurses are still getting her settled in," the doctor told them. Their faces fell. "They should only be about ten more minutes or so. Once they're done, I don't see why you can't go in and give her some company."

"She's awake?"

"She was just coming to when I left her." A thought came to his mind. "If you do go in there, I should warn you that she probably won't know who you are. We've given her quite a lot of medication to help with both the psychical and psychological trauma of the situation."

"But it's not permanent, right?" Brooke had to admit, that didn't sound so bad. If Haley were able to forget everything that had happened to her in the past two years, Brooke couldn't possibly see that bad in that. Brooke wished she could erase this whole night from her memory, from her night. Unfortunately, she knew that neither her nor her sister would ever be able to forget this.

"If only it were that easy," he commented as if he could read Brooke's mind. "No, it should wear off by tomorrow morning." He smiled sadly at her. "Just wait in here for a while longer and then if you want, you can head over there and see her. She's in room 142 when you're ready."

"Thank you doctor," Nathan finally said, noticing that Brooke didn't seem to be making any move to say it. The doctor nodded at him, finally acknowledging his presence.

"Now, just to warn you," he began to explain before he left them alone. Brooke's head was starting to get dizzy again. Was this ever going to end? All she wanted to do was see her baby sister with her own two eyes to make sure she was okay. "Your sister does not look well at all. When you see her, you may not think that she's doing well, but I promise that she's fine. She survived a brutal beating, you might not even recognize her at first."

"But she's fine, right?" Brooke asked. A million images flashed through her head of what Haley might look like right now, and all of them were unacceptable. She could barely handle the way she looked when she first came to town, and Brooke was almost positive that she looks even worse now. "It looks worse than it is?"

"Yes," he assured her. It was times like these that he regretted getting into the medical profession. He hated having to deal with emotional family members. It's not that he finds them to be a burden; he just hates to see people upset. "You should only stay for a little while, Ms. James needs her rest. I'll send a nurse up when it's time for her to go to sleep."

"Doctor?" came a female voice from behind him. He turned around and saw that he was needed in a different room to care for another patient. "Tommy Mills is starting to get a fever again."

"I'll be right there, Louise." The brunette nodded, but didn't move, waiting until the doctor was finished with Brooke and Nathan. "Remember, wait about ten or fifteen minutes and then you can all go up. Just try not to get her too worked up. She'll probably still be a little out of it. I'll come up and check on you all in a bit." He held out his hand for Brooke and Nathan to shake. "If you have any questions or problems, just contact me. I'm Dr. Kenneth Ford."

"We will," Brooke promised, shaking the man's hand. She laid her other hand on top of his and squeezed it, looking directly in his eyes. "Thank you, Dr. Ford. You have no idea how much I owe you right now."

"It's no problem, darling," he told her. For a second there, Brooke thought that he sounded like Whitey. "It's all in a days work." He smiled at her one last time and nodded to the other four, before quickly walking away with the nurse and disappearing into another room.

"See," Nathan whispered to Brooke as they turned around to face their three friends that had been standing behind them quietly. Brooke looked up at him. "I told you that she'd be okay." Brooke stare up at him and tried to figure out what kind of drugs he was smoking. Of course Haley wasn't going to be okay. After what she had just gone through, no one could possibly be okay.

"She's not okay," Brooke answered back, her voice so steady and sure that it was creepy to Nathan. He felt a shiver run up his spine at her words and how much it seemed that she believed them. "She'll never be okay. We'll never be okay." Before Nathan had a chance to reply to her words, the others immediately started asking them questions.

"So?" Jake asked at the same time that Peyton asked if she was okay. Lucas seemed to understand that he shouldn't say anything. Brooke shrugged off Nathan's arm and slowly made her way over to one of the chairs and plopped down in it, leaving Nathan to do the explaining.

There were a million thoughts running through her head as she vaguely listened to what Nathan was telling her friends. The feeling that was most intense and up front was of course the overflowing joy that she felt at knowing that Haley was ok. As much as she hated to think about it, there was really a few moments back there that she honestly entertained the thought that Haley wouldn't be all right.

The thought that she might never see Haley again terrified her more than she ever thought it could. She had never been so scared, so afraid in her entire life. When Karen has called and told them that their father was back, she has never felt so much hated and angry flow through her.

That was the same anger and hated that had overtaken her body when she had shot her father. She liked to think, like most people, that she didn't have it in herself to actually willing take another person's life, but she did. That was something that scared her to death. What kind of human being was she if she was willing to kill someone?

Yes, she didn't actually kill her father, and if she was being completely honest with herself, there was a tiny part of her that was disappointed with that fact. She didn't know what she would have done if she had to live with the thought of killing someone for the rest of her life, but in the long run, she would probably lose less sleep then she will now, knowing that her father was still out there.

Did that make her a bad person? A person that was just as sick and twisted as her father was? She didn't care. Honestly, she couldn't care less about what happened to her or her life from this point on, as long as Haley was fine and taken care of; she didn't care if she was happy.

"Brooke?" She was pulled out of her thoughts when she heard her boyfriend's soft voice calling her name gently. It took her a moment to register that he was talking to her and she blinked a few times, bringing his handsome face into focus. "Hey, baby. Nathan filled us in on Haley's condition. It looks like she's gonna be okay."

"Is it time to go see her yet?" Brooke asked, completely ignoring his words. She didn't know why, but she kept refusing to believe that Haley was okay. There had to be something wrong, there had to be. Brooke saw Haley's lifeless body lying in the woods and that was no what someone looked like when they were okay. Lucas glanced at his watch.

"I think it would be okay if we went to visit her," he answered, knowing just how to talk to her when she was like this. He understood that she was in pain and mostly just wanted to be left alone, even if it wasn't in her best interest in the long run. Brooke looked passed him to find that Nathan, Peyton and Jake were all staring at her. She nodded her head slightly, taking the hand Lucas was offering her and stood up.

The group moved towards Haley's room, no conversation passing between them. All of them were lost in their own thoughts, silently praying that Haley would be okay. Not all of them were that close with Haley, or knew that much about her, but they still wished only the best for her. If Brooke loved her so much, she had to be a good person.

It didn't take them very long to get to the room they were told Haley was in. They all turned to Brooke to make sure that she was okay to go in. Even though she wasn't, Brooke nodded her head silently and motioned for Nathan to open the door. He knew that Brooke was lying, but his own desire to see Haley won over and her pushed the door open.

"Hello?" he called into the room. He didn't want to scare Haley, not after everything that she had just been through. He peeked his head inside and was surprised to find that Haley was wide awake and chatting with a nurse. They immediately stopped their conversation when they noticed that people were entering.

"Hey," Haley greeted, the confusion clear in her voice. If Nathan didn't know any better, he would say that she was perfectly fine. She didn't appear to be in any pain, which is probably also due to the wonders of medication. Though, all it took was one glance at her to know that she wasn't fine. Dr. Ford had been right, he hardly recognized her at all.

"You up for some visitors?" When she nodded, Nathan pushed the door open completely, revealing the four other people standing behind him. She looked surprised to see so many people, but didn't complain. The nurse smiled at her and quickly excused herself, telling them that if there was any difficulties to buzz down.

"Wow, I must be popular," Haley joked, watching as all the people filed into the room. She tried her best to place the faces, but none of them were familiar. Hell, she didn't even recognize her own hand; she was so drugged out on the stuff they gave her. "Not to be rude or anything, but who are you guys. I'm a little cracked out right now."

"That's okay," Nathan assured her, finding it almost impossible to look her in the face. Her entire face was one big bruise. Her right eye was completely swollen shut and it looked like her lip had been busted up worse than any hockey players he had ever seen. There was a huge stitch across the length of her forehead and he couldn't find a single place on her face that wasn't scratched up. Her left leg was propped up with a cast on it to make the much larger one on her right arm. Her right leg was hidden under the sheet, but he could tell that it was swollen.

"I'm Peyton," she began, seeing that Nathan was having trouble finding his voice. She understood where he was coming from and decided to help him out a little. She waved at Haley and took a step forward. "This is Jake, Lucas, Nathan and that's Brooke."

-**I pray that every passing hour your heart will bruise and beat, I pray that every step you take will bruise and burn your feet.-**

Everyone waved and started asking questions, being sure to steer clear of the subject of her father or her injuries, pretty much anything involving that night. Brooke stood back from the rest of them, watching them talk and converse as if nothing was wrong. They were acting like Haley didn't look like she had been beaten to a bloody pulp, like she wasn't acting looping or strange. Brooke couldn't do that.

She made the mistake of looking at Haley in the eyes, or the one that was still open, and she could see all the pain in them. Even if Haley had no idea what was wrong with her at the moment, deep down inside, she was dying from what happened. Brooke didn't blame her. She, like Nathan, couldn't bring herself to look at Haley. She couldn't stand the sight of her like that.

The girl that had always been so full of life, so happy, was now broken. There wasn't a trace of that old Haley James smile on her face now. There was a new, forced one that was fighting passed the pain to display itself. It made Brooke sick. Seeing her baby sister that broken, it brought a feeling to her that she never thought she'd be capable of having.

Him.

Without a word to the others, Brooke slipped out of the room and into the hallway. Haley was the only one that noticed her leave, but she didn't say anything to the others. There was something inside of her that was telling her she should let that one be. She had her own demons to fight.

Once Brooke was out of the room, she could finally breath again. She didn't have to look at that bruise that used to be her sister. She didn't glance at the people around her, she didn't even think, it was as if she was moving on autopilot. She could vaguely feel her feet moving her forward, but she wasn't aware of herself moving.

Before she new what was happening, she was on a completely different floor. She didn't know how she got there, nor did she remember getting on the elevator. She flexed her fingers, just realizing how cold they were and started walking down the hall. She looked at the numbers on the doors, searching for the room she was looking for.

310 … 311 … 312 … 313 … 314. There it was.

She glanced around quickly and when she saw that n one was around, she slipped into the room and closed the door. The lights were dimmed, but not off, as the room's occupant had no current need for a lamp. Brooke took slow, cautious steps towards to bed, aware that he could wake up at anytime. When she finally made it to the bed, she had to close her eyes. Suddenly different images flashed through her head.

_Haley smiling. Haley playing. Haley singing. Haley laughing. Haley crying. Haley running. Haley screaming. Haley begging. Haley pleading. Haley bruised. Haley bleeding. Haley beaten. Haley broken._

Brooke's eyes opened to find that her hand was clamped over her father's mouth and nose, successfully blocking any oxygen from reaching his system. His body began to thrash in his sleep, his head frantically moving from side to side, begging for air.

Brooke just pressed harder.

**-OTH-**

Okay. I'm finally done that chapter. I hope that you guys are okay with that. I knew that's how I wanted to end the chapter, I had it perfectly in my head, but it was harder to write. I hope that it wasn't too lame. I tried my hardest. Please tell me what you think.


	31. Two Quarters and A Heart Down

_Author's Note:_ Hey. I know that it's been a long time since I last updated, but I'm here now and I hope that's enough of a peace offering. I had a lot of trouble deciding how I wanted the situation with Brooke and Jimmy to play out, so it took a while to update because of that. Finally, I guess I thought of something. I'm sorry if it's not what you wanted, I wish I could think of something a little more creative, but I just drew a blank and I hated leaving you guys hanging like that. Anyway, please tell me what you think of this chapter so I know if I did an okay job. Enjoy.

**...OTH...**

**...It's a pleasure to share one's memories. Everything remembered is dear, endearing, touching, precious. At least the past is safe though we didn't know it at the time, we know it now. Because it's in the past; because we have survived... **

_"Brooke James' House of Hoes and Pimps, how can I help you?" Brooke spoke into her phone, not sure who it could be. She figured that she didn't have to worry about it being a stranger since only her friends called her cell phone. After a moment, and still the person on the other end of the line had said anything, Brooke raised an eyebrow. "Hello? Is anyone there?" _

_"Tigger?" came the small, shaky voice on the other end. For a split second, Brooke wasn't sure if she had even heard anything. The smile on Brooke's face was brought down a notch as she heard the pain in her sister's voice, but she was still happy to hear from her nonetheless. _

_"Baby Girl, is that you?" Brooke asked, her excitement overriding the bad feeling she was starting to get in the pit of her stomach. She didn't wait for Haley to answer. "I can't believe that you finally got around to calling your big sister. Do you have any idea how good it is to hear your voice? I've been waiting forever to hear from you."_

_"I'm sorry," Haley choked back, glancing behind her to make sure that her bedroom door was closed and the door was locked. She was almost positive that she had heard her father leave the house already, but she couldn't be too safe. She bit her lip to keep the sob from escaping and crawled into Brooke's bed. _

_"Aw, don't be, babe," Brooke brushed her comment off. She typed in a quick goodbye to Lucas and Peyton and logged off. "I'm just so happy to hear your voice. It feels like I haven't talk to you in ages." She tossed the textbooks off her bed and flopped down on it, lying on her back so she was staring up at the ceiling. "I'm just glad you finally called." _

_"I was gonna call earlier," Haley told her, silently debating with herself over whether she should tell her sister about what just happened to her. Her first instinct had been to call Brooke and sob to her, but know that she heard how happy her sister sounded, she didn't know if she should burden her with her problems. "But something came up."_

_"Don't sweat it," Brooke told her. "So what have you been up to lately?" She knew that she sounded like everything was okay, but really on the inside; it killed her that her sister was so far away from her. She hadn't heard from her sister in weeks and if she thought about it for too long, then she starting getting really worried about her. _

_"Nothing much." Brooke bit her lip, trying to decide what the tone in Haley's voice meant. She could have sworn that she heard crying coming from her and Haley wasn't really one to cry needlessly. "Dad just left." _

_"Hales, are you okay?" Brooke asked, finally. She could definitely hear the pain in her sister's voice that time. Not to mention the shiver that ran down her spine when she mentioned their father. _

_"I don't think so," she whispered, taking in a deep breath, wincing at the pain in her stomach. She could still feel where her father's hand had first connected with her face and where he had brought his foot down on her abdomen. "I'm not doing too good, Tigger." _

_"Sweetie, what happened?" Brooke questioned, immediately sitting up when her sister began to sob openly. She pushed back the urge she had to bring her sister into her arms considering that she couldn't exactly do that. "Talk to me, baby."_

_"I didn't mean to make him mad," Haley cried, not realizing that Brooke wouldn't know what she was talking about. At the moment, she was pretty much just talking to herself, trying to reason with herself about why this had happened. "I just wanted to see how his day went…"_

_"Him?" Brooke asked, her voice cold and emotionless. Was Haley really saying what she thought she was saying? Brooke didn't want to believe it, but if she was being honest with herself, she should have seen this coming. "Haley, you have to be more specific. Are you talking about dad?" She didn't know if she wanted to hear it was their father or some other bastard who had hurt Haley. _

_"Yeah," she whispered, starting to calm down some when she heard Brooke's voice on the other end of the phone. Nothing could ever make her feel better than to hear Brooke's voice. She was her big sister, maybe not in age, but she was always the one that protected her. _

_"Oh my God," Brooke breathed, the wind knocked out of her at the confession. She had been expecting it, but that didn't mean she was prepared for it. She felt the tears spring to her eyes and her heart contrast. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?"_

_"My face stings," Haley answered, clearing her head so she could focus on her body, checking to make sure that there weren't really any major damages. "And my stomach hurt a little, and my arm. Other than that I think I'm okay." _

_"Are you sure?" Brooke asked, not willing to take the risk that her father had really done some major damage to her sister. _

_"I'm sure."_

_"Okay." Brooke quickly pushed herself off the bed and started searching her room for her shoes, having completely forgotten where she had left them. "Well, you just sit tight and I'll find a ride. I should be there…"_

_"No!" Haley called frantically, cutting her off before she could finish. She sat up fast, ignoring the pain that shot through her. _

_"What?" Brooke stopped in her tracks, surprised at the panic in Haley's voice. What the hell was she talking about? Was she telling her not to come there and get her? Was she crazy? _

_"You can't come," Haley explained, holding her stomach._

_"Are you insane?" Brooke hissed. She shook her head, ignoring her sister's wishes and continued to look for her shoes. "I'm on my way. I'll be there soon."_

_"Brooke, no!" Haley repeated, making sure that her voice didn't crack at all. She didn't want Brooke coming and there was no way she was letting that happen. "You can't come here."_

_"I'm coming."_

_"If he sees you here, he'll hurt you too," Haley reasoned with her. As much as she wished she could be with her sister, she wouldn't let her get hurt, that was her number one priority right now. _

_"Haley, I don't care…"_

_"Please, Brookie?" Haley begged, hoping that her sister would still be powerless against that. When they were kids she could always get Brooke to do anything when she begged her to, especially when she called her that. _

_"Haley…"_

_"I can take care of myself," she told her, even though they both knew that was a bold faced lie. She didn't stand a chance if her father decided to attack her again. "I don't think that'll happen again. He said he was sorry, he promised that he wouldn't do it again."_

_"Hales, he…" Brooke stopped when she heard her sister sniffling and could practically hear her pouting on the other end of the phone. She let the tears fall down her face, knowing she was making the wrong decision. She dropped her shoe, letting it tumbled back to the floor and plopped back down on the ground. "He promised?"_

_"He promised," Haley repeated in a steady voice, glad that Brooke was agreeing to this. "You can't come and save me every time something bad happens. You're gone, Tigger, and I need to learn to deal with things on my own."_

_"This is completely different, baby," Brooke argued. She clenched her fists and fought the urge to grab her shoes again and go despite of what she told Haley._

_"There's nothing you can do anyway, Tigger," Haley pointed out. "He's bigger than us, he isn't like one of those bitches at school that pick on me that you can just slap and make it go away. Somethings are above you. Sometimes you have to let me get hurt." _

_"I don't like this," Brooke stated. There was something inside of her that was telling her that this was one of those moments, the kind that will define the rest of her life. She knew that whatever she did right now, would set in sequence a bunch of events that could be prevented, but just like usual, she made the wrong decision. "But if you don't want me to come, then I won't." _

_"Thank you, Tigger," Haley sighed, settling down some more, knowing that her sister wasn't going to come and get hurt as well. She knew that Brooke would be there for her. "I love you."_

_"I love you, too, baby." _

Brooke was snapped out of the memory by the hand jerking her back. Her eyes wiped open and she was confused for a moment, trying to remember why she was in her father's hospital room. Suddenly it all came back to. Before she had a chance to finish what she started, she felt that same hand grab hold of her arm again and turn her around.

"I really don't think you want to do," Carol tired to reason with her, eyeing the way that Brooke's body was starting to shake slightly. Brooke's eyes flashed at her, taking a moment to place the pretty blonde's face. It didn't take her long to remember that she was the woman that was 'dating' her father.

"Actually, I think it's exactly what I want to do," Brooke shot back, though her voice was weak and she made no move to go back to the bed. They stood in silence; the only noise in the room was the beeping coming from her father's heart monitor, signaling that his heartbeat was starting to go back to normal. To both their surprises, he was still asleep after all of that.

"No, you don't," Carol tried to tell her. She carefully took a step forward and was glad when Brooke neither flinched nor stepped backwards.

"Yeah, I do," Brooke nodded her head frantically, trying to hold back the tears that threatened to spill over at the realization of what she had almost done. "I want to kill him, make him feel as bad as he made Haley feel. I want to kill him, to make Haley better, so she doesn't have to worry about him anymore, so she can finally have a normal life." By this point, Brooke was about ready to completely break down as the tears began to wrack her body, but she wouldn't be brought to her knees, she stood tall. "He almost killed Haley, he just ripped through her like she was nothing, like she didn't deserve to be treated like a human being."

"And that's why he's going to go to jail," Carol told her, fighting her own tears at seeing how much the man she once loved was effecting this poor girl. "If you kill him, he's getting the easy way out. Is that what you want?" Brooke mutely shook her head. "Then let him rot in jail for what he did to Haley. Don't let him off."

Brooke's eyes wondered helplessly between Carol and her father, lying helplessly in his bed, practically calling out for her to kill him. She knew that Carol was right, that her father would suffer much more in jail then if she killed him. But she just couldn't shake the urge she had to rip him apart with her bare hands.

She didn't know what to do.

**...Days of absence, sad and dreary, Clothed in sorrow's dark array – Days of absence, I am weary; She I love is far away...**

"How are you feeling?" Nathan asked, as he moved closer to the bed. He tried his best to look at Haley, not wanting her to think that he was being rude or anything. He just found it hard to see all those bruises on her face. He was starting to understand more what Brooke had been talking about before.

"Nothing, actually," she joked. She liked this guy already and she hadn't even had a conversation with him. There was just something telling her that they were good friends, that he was someone she could trust and talk to. Not to mention he was pretty damn sexy, all tall, dark and handsome like.

"Nothing at all?" Nathan questioned, having a sit in the chair beside the bed. The first thing that crossed his mind when she said that was that she was retreating into herself again, like she was getting depressed, but then he realized that she was joking.

"Gotta love Western Medicine, huh?" Nathan smiled at her, definitely liking this side of Haley. The others moved into the room, spreading themselves out at the edge of the bed. No one seemed to notice that Brooke was missing yet. "You're Nathan, right?"

"Yeah." He reached out his hand and she shook it. She flinched slightly at the touch, forgetting that her hand had scratching all over it. "Oh, God, I'm sorry."

"It's okay," she assured him. "It was my fault. Everything is okay now, I'm cool."

"Sorry," he mumbled again, still feeling bad even though she didn't blame him. He slumped down in his chair and let the others talk to Haley now. Maybe they wouldn't hurt her even more. Stupid.

"I take it you guys are my friends?"

"You could say that," Lucas answered, not really sure what to do. For the first time, he glanced around for Brooke, thinking she's know how to handle the situation the best, but was surprised to find that she wasn't there. He turned back to Haley. "We haven't really had that much of a chance to hang out, yet."

"We've hung out," Peyton informed her, raising her hand and smiling at the bruised and battered girl in front of her. She and Haley had only known each other for about a week, but she still felt really close to the girl. She could tell that if they had the chance, they could definitely turn into the best of friends. "I mean, for the last week, anyway."

"Same here," Nathan spoke up, figure that she might get uncomfortable if she got the impression that they all weren't really her friends. Haley looked between Nathan and Peyton, trying to figure out what was going on. Now that she thought about it, she did somewhat recognize their faces. More so than Jake and Luke's, anyway.

"I do kinda recognize you guys," she admitted. She narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Nathan for a moment, trying to place his face. When nothing happened, she turned and did the same thing to Peyton. Nothing. "What about that other girl?"

"Brooke?"

"Yeah, the one that left." Not having noticed that yet, Nathan, Peyton and Jake all looked around when they heard her words, surprised that they hadn't noticed that Brooke had left. "I definitely know her. Who's she?"

"She's your sister," Nathan explained before anyone else could. Before his talk with Brooke in the washroom, he probably would have been bitter about that, but now he was starting to understand. Before he hated knowing that no matter what he did, or how close he and Haley go, she would never love him like she loved Brooke. Now though, he was starting to understand that they were just inseparable and that he should be grateful to be in both of their lives.

"I have a sister?" For some reason, the idea really appealed to Haley. Now that she thought about it, if Brooke was her sister, that would probably explain the look of devastation that was on her face before she left the room.

"Yeah, she's you're twin sister, actually," Lucas added. For some reason, he just couldn't shake the horrible feeling that he was getting when he thought about where Brooke was. There was just something that told him he needed to find her. "Now that you mention it, I think we should go look for her."

"I'll come," Jake volunteers, finding it hard to look at Haley too. He barely even knew her, but just thinking about what her father had done her to, it made him sick to his stomach. He could never do something like that to Jenny, not in a million years. He followed Lucas towards the door.

"Yeah, me too." Peyton could tell that Nathan wanted to be alone with Haley, and even though she thought that Nathan should give Haley her space, especially now, she wanted to give them some time alone. She sent a smile at Nathan and Haley before slipping out of the room, following behind Jake and Lucas.

"Maybe you should get some sleep," Nathan suggested, noticing that she was yawning slightly. He knew that it was best to get rest when you were hurt and he figured that the more sleep she got, the faster she'd be able to get out of the hospital. The smile on Haley's face drops a little, but is still there. She shakes her head.

"Nah," she decides, a sad tone in her voice. "I have a feeling that I'm not going to be doing so good tomorrow, when everything comes back to me. I think it would be best if I enjoyed this feeling while I can."

"Yeah," Nathan nodded, his face darkening. He could tell that Haley was already starting to come down from the drugs. Pretty soon, she was going to be completely broken, distraught over what happened, and he wasn't sure if he'd be able to take that. "I think that's probably a good idea."

"Nathan?"

"Yeah?"

"Tomorrow," she began, her voice cracking silently. "When I remember what happened, and everything isn't all bright and cheery, painless. Is it gonna hurt?"

"Like Hell," he answered softly, but honestly. He couldn't bring himself to lie to her. Not about something like this. She nodded, biting back the tears that threatened to spill over. Wordlessly, she reached out and took a hold of his hand, ignoring the pain this time, and held on tight.

**...OTH...**

That's all for now. I hope that you guys liked it. There isn't really much else to say, but please tell me what you think.


	32. I’ve Got A Sunset In My Veins

_Author's Note:_ Hey, all. I'm here with an update. I'm glad that you guys liked that last chapter, especially the ending, which was my favorite as well. Please tell me what you guys think and I'll be sure to update faster next time. Enjoy.

**...OTH...**

**...The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home...**

Brooke and Carol walked through the empty hallways of the hospital in complete silence, neither knowing what would be appropriate to say. Finally, after a little more coaxing from Carol, Brooke had decided to back down from her threats to kill her father, though the thought still hadn't left her mind.

She still wanted to kill him for what he had done, but she knew that what Carol said was right. If she did kill him, he was getting the easy way out. She would much rather see him getting his ass kicked and beaten in jail by some guy named Tiny. She was pretty sure he'd get more damage done to him there than she could ever do to him.

Just thinking about what Haley looked like when she walked into that hospital room was enough to make her want to run back into her father's room and kill him. It didn't matter that the logic was messed up, all that matter was she got to inflict the same kind of pain that he had brought down on her poor, innocent little sister.

As she and Carol walked towards the elevator, Brooke's mind began to wander to what might have happened if Carol hadn't come in when she had. If Brooke had actually killed Jimmy, she would have been the one going to jail, leaving Haley all alone, with no one to watch over her. What good would that do anyone?

Though, there would be Nathan. She smiled slightly at the thought, remembering how awesome Nathan had been with her earlier. Sure, she loved Lucas to death, and she was almost positive that he would have done the same thing, but there was just something that Nathan showed her tonight that made her think that he could be the perfect boyfriend if she tried to be, that he could be just the guy that Haley needed.

She never thought that she would see that day that things were starting to look up. But if there was one good thing about this entire situation, it was that now things could get better. She had always heard that things could never get better until they hit rock bottom. If this wasn't rock bottom, than she really didn't want to live in this world anymore, under a God that would let something like this happen to such wonderful people.

She and Carol both seemed to be paying enough attention to what was going on around them, as they managed to realize that they had already made it to the elevator. To both their surprises, the small boxed room was empty, leaving them alone once again. If Brooke wasn't careful, she was going to get caught into talking about what happened back there.

That was the last thing that she wanted to talk about. She didn't want to even think about the fact that she was capable of taking someone else's life, let alone talk about it. She understood that the situation was completely different, but she couldn't help but feel close to her father when she had her hand over his mouth, like she was the same as him.

But she wasn't. She wouldn't let herself be.

"You said that my dad was going to go to jail," Brooke began, finally breaking the silence between them. It wasn't like she actually wanted to talk about anything, but she figured that she should start the conversation before Carol had a chance to make it about something she didn't want to talk about. "Are you sure about that?"

"After what he did to Haley?" Carol asked, pressing the right bottom on the wall before leaning against it to look at Brooke. She still had her purse and coat resting on her folded arms. "Of course he's going to jail."

"But, I mean," Brooke started, feeling a little foolish. "You hear all these stories about bastards like him getting off free." She shrugged her shoulders as if the thought didn't bother her, when in fact it infuriated her. "I was just wondering what would make this case so different."

"Well, I'm a lawyer," Carol admitted. She didn't really enjoy talking about her job; most people pictured lawyers to just be blood thirty animals that didn't care about the good of other people. "I'm Haley's lawyer and I assure you that I will not let this go until your father is inside of a jail cell."

"Good," Brooke nodded, a slight smile coming to her face. She didn't know why, but she got the feeling that Carol was telling the truth. She knew that there was a very big chance, bigger than there ever should be, that her father could walk away from all of this without any jail time, but she had to have a little faith. "Thank you."

"No problem," Carol assured her, glancing up to see that they were going passed the second floor. "It's my job."

"No," Brooke corrected her. "I mean, thank you for everything. For looking out for Haley when I couldn't be there, for coming down here, stopping me. It may not seem like much to you, but it's more help than you'd believe. Trust me."

"I'm just doing what any other decent human being would do." Carol hated to think that that wasn't true. She didn't want to even think about someone that would have been able to just walk away from Haley after knowing what was going on.

"Not every human being," Brooke told her as the door dinged, signaling them that their ride was over. They waited for the elevator doors to open and they began to walk out. "You haven't meet Grace James."

"Is that your mother?" Carol asked as they exited the elevator and the doors closed behind them. Brooke made a face and nodded her head, keeping her eyes on the floor. They were getting closer to Haley's room and Brooke could almost feel the pain radiating off of her sister.

"Yeah," she answered in a bitter tone. "I doubt that she'd even give a damn if she knew that Haley was in the hospital, let alone come all the way down here to see her."

"Brooke?" The voice caused Brooke to come to a complete halt. It took Carol a moment to realize that Brooke wasn't walking at her side anymore, and dropped back to stand with her.

"You have got to be kidding me," Brooke hissed under her breath, staring at the two people in front of her. She honestly couldn't believe her eyes. Where they really here? "What the hell are you doing here?"

"What's going on?" Carol could tell that something was definitely up; the tone in Brooke's voice said enough, that these people weren't exactly welcomed with open arms.

"This is my mother," Brooke said in an emotionless voice, pointing to her mother who was standing no more than three feet in front of her. "And that's her boyfriend's daughter, Lorraine."

"Oh, I see," Carol nodded, leaning forward and reaching her hand out for both women to shake it. Grace quickly shook and it and gave her a tight smile before moving over so Lori could do the same. "It's nice to meet you. I'm Carol, I used to date Jimmy."

"Now that that is out of the way," Brooke interrupted them in a tight voice. She gave Carol a slight smile in apology and turned to her mother. "What are you two doing here? How did you know that Haley was here?"

"Lorraine came over to talk to me about you and your sister," Grace began to explain, leaving out the most important part. "I haven't seen Tony all week, not since your little outburst in the restaurant. We were on our way somewhere when the hospital called my cell phone. I guess since your father isn't exactly in the best shape to handle the current situation, they called me in."

"Okay," Brooke answered, her voice showing just how much she didn't believe everything her mother was telling her. She knew there was something else to the story, she could always tell when her mother wasn't being truthful, but she honestly didn't care at this point. "Well, you're here. You can do the paperwork or whatever you need to do, and then leave. I've got everything covered here."

"I don't think so," Grace shook her head, tightening the hold on her purse. She readjusted her jacket so the buttons were directly in the center of her front half. "I'm here to see my daughter, and I'm not leaving here until I do."

"Yeah, well, you saw me," Brooke answered for her, starting to get really annoyed with Grace's attitude, though when was she not annoyed with her mother. She really couldn't think of any time that she didn't hate her mother over the past two years.

"I meant Haley," Grace corrected. Carol and Lori could both sense the argument that was about to talk place, and neither wanted it to happen. Carol could practically see the angry radiating off of the young girl in front of her.

"Well, you had two years to see her," Brooke yelled back, taking a step forward before Carol had a chance to react. "You didn't seem to care when I told you about it all those other times, why would you suddenly start to care now?"

"I always cared."

"I keep telling you," Brooke continued to yell, her voice cracking slightly as the emotions of the past two years all came flooding back to her. Suddenly, it felt like she couldn't get it all out fast enough. "Whether you cared or not doesn't mean anything. You didn't do anything, and that just makes everything worse."

"There was nothing I could do…"

"There was plenty you could have done!" There was that little voice again, that voice that seemed to have chosen to take up residence inside Brooke's head since she first got that phone call from Haley all that time ago. Brooke ignored it like she always did, choosing not to believe that this was her fault. "You could have called someone; someone back home, the police, or how about calling Haley?"

"It's not the time for this right now," Grace tried to tell her, eyeing the people around them that were looking at them. She could see the surprised look on Lori's face, having never seen Brooke act this way towards her. Brooke had always seemed to be kind of indifferent towards her, even though Grace could see the hatred in her years all the time.

"It's never the time!" Brooke shouted. She didn't want to do this here, she didn't want to do this at all because if she had it her way, she'd never see her mother again, but apparently, things weren't exactly going her way. "You've been saying that for the past two years. You never have time to talk about your other daughter, the one that gets beaten and raped by the father you left her with!"

"Brooke," Carol warned, grabbing onto her arm to try to calm her down. She understood that Brooke was pissed off at her mother for the way she handled Haley's situation, she was too, but she didn't think that announcing the situation to the entire waiting room was the best plan.

"Forget it," she muttered, ripping her arm out of Carol's grip and glancing around the room quickly to see how many people heard what she had said; the answer being everyone. Great. Good job, Brookie.

"I'm sorry about everything that I've done…"

"I don't care," Brooke cut her off, leaving no room for argument. Lorraine and Grace both almost had to take a step back at the evil glare that Brooke was sending their way. "I'm not the one that you need to be apologizing to."

"I just feel like I owe you an explanation…"

"Haley's in her room," Brooke told her, balling up her fists and taking a deep breath. It was killing her to even look at her mother. She just stood there, pretending that she cared. Brooke didn't know what she was up to, but there had to be something else going on to explain her sudden interest and concern with Haley's well being. "142."

"Will you come in with me?" Grace James was never known to beg, but she wasn't above it at this point. She hadn't seen her daughter for over two years, and now that they were finally going to see each other again, she was in the hospital. Grace couldn't think of a more horrible situation. She really needed Brooke to be there to make things a little less tense.

"I can't be in there right now," Brooke told her, trying to block out all of the thoughts that those words brought into her mind. Carol watched with sympathetic eyes, she really couldn't begin to imagine what either of the girls must be going through. "I just… I can't."

"Maybe I should wait then," Grace suggested. She could tell by the tone in Brooke's voice that something must seriously be wrong with Haley. She couldn't remember the last time that Brooke refused to hang out with her sister. Ever since they were little, it was almost as if they had been attached at the hip. "If she's not up for visitors…"

"No," Brooke shook her head. She quickly reached up and wiped away the single tear that had managed to escape during her earlier screaming episode. "If you're gonna go in, you should do it now. She's pretty drugged up and probably won't be pissed at you, since she won't know who you are."

"I don't want the first conversation I have with her to be when she's under the influence of some kind of drug."

"Well, you can take it or leave it." Brooke was done being emotional for the time being. She needed to start getting in control again; Haley needed her to be strong because she didn't seem to have anyone else to play that role. "Because there is no way that you are seeing her after tomorrow."

"You can't keep me from my own daughter," Grace argued. Lori stood behind her, silently agreeing with Brooke. If she understood the situation as well as she thought she did, she couldn't believe that Grace would even have the nerve to come down there.

"She is going to have enough to deal with," Brooke told her, her voice steady and calm, showing her that there was going to be no arguing. "The last thing she'll need is for you to come barreling back into her life. You left her, now you have to deal with it." Brooke sent a nod in Carol's direction, letting her know that she was going to head out for some air. Carol nodded.

"Brooke, please," Grace tried one last time as Brooke walked passed her. Brooke stood still, but didn't turn around.

"Either see her tonight, or not at all," Brooke told her again, turning around so she was facing her mother and looking at her directly in the eyes. "You walked out of her life when she needed you the most. I am not going to let you hurt her again because if one more thing goes wrong right now … I don't think I'll ever be able to save her." Brooke saw that her mother was about to protest again. "Go in, say hello and you're sorry. Then get the hell out of here. You're not wanted or needed."

Carol, Grace and Lorraine watched with slightly surprised expressions as Brooke walked passed them and towards the front doors. She pushed them open and soon disappeared from their view. They stared after her for a moment, not sure what to do now.

"Do you want me to take you to Haley's room?" Grace turned towards Carol and nodded slightly, grabbing onto Lori's arm and bringing her with them. She could not believe the things that Brooke had just said to her, but there wasn't a single part of her that didn't agree with everything that Brooke said.

And that's what hurt her so much.

**...Waiting is painful. Forgetting is painful. But not knowing which to do is the worse kind of suffering...**

No words had passed between Haley and Nathan as they sat in the hospital room, their hands linked and staring off into space. They didn't know what to say, or what to do, both too uncomfortable at the situation. Neither had ever had to deal with something as serious as this.

Nathan was beginning to thing that telling Haley the truth wasn't exactly the best idea. He knew that lying to her would have done no good, considering tomorrow was going to come soon enough, but judging by her reaction, maybe it would have been the better plan.

Every once in a while Haley would glance over at him, trying to see what he was thinking, but he made sure that his face was unreadable. If he let her see just how worried he was about her, then it would only freak her out even more, which was the last thing he wanted to do. She was trying her best to be slick about it, not wanting him to see her looking at him, but she was not successful.

He knew that he should just enjoy this time right now, when she was calm and in no pain, but he couldn't. He couldn't look at her and smile, as much as he wanted to be able to, he couldn't. It hurt him too much to see her with bruises all over her beautiful face. That face that he had wanted to touch since he first saw her.

"So," Haley began, the boredom clear in her voice as she drew the word out. "I hear that we're good friends?" She tired her head finally, and looked straight at him. She was sick of sitting in silence and playing games with him.

"Oh, um, not really." He wasn't exactly sure how to answer that question. He cleared his throat and straightened up so he was sitting upright in his chair. Now that they were having a conversation, Haley found it to be a little weird to still be holding hands, so she pretended to have to starch her leg so he would have to release her hand.

"But I thought you said that we hung out?" she asked, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "When Blondie said me and her hung out, you said that we did too."

"You just moved here this week," he explained, not too sure how much he was allowed to tell. Her hand moving didn't go unnoticed by him, and it hurt him more than he knew it should, but he couldn't exactly blame her either.

"Okay, I'm confused," Haley confessed. She let out a groan and she turned her body as much as she could, so she could see Nathan sitting beside her. Seeing what she was trying to do, Nathan quickly moved over so he was sitting on the edge of the bed, that way it was easier for her to see him. "You're good friends with Brooke, right?" Nathan nodded. "And she's my twin sister?" Again, he nodded.

"Yes."

"Then I don't get it," Haley continued. Okay, she wanted to know what was going on, but she didn't want to ruin the current mood she was in. If Nathan was right about what she would be feeling tomorrow, then it would probably be best to stay in the dark.

"It's really not my place to be telling you all of this," Nathan told her, his voice full of sympathy and pain for Haley's current situation. "And like I said before, you should really enjoy this time while it lasts, so I'll just give you the quick rundown."

"Thanks." Haley couldn't help but notice how handsome Nathan looked when he was upset. She couldn't help but wonder if they ever dated, or at least kissed because he clearly liked her. She'll have to make a note to ask, but right now, she just wanted to figure out what the hell was going on.

"I'm not exactly the expert on this topic, so I don't know how much help I'll be, but I'll try my best." Haley nodded, shifting over slightly, and patted the empty space beside her. It seemed that as long as they were talking, and not sitting in complete silence, then she was able to be close to him and not be uncomfortable. "From my understanding, you and Brooke are twin sisters, and we pretty much attached at the hip. Somewhere along the lines you're parents got divorced, and…"

"We got separated," Haley finished for him. She looked at him to see if she was right, and he nodded. She could see that he was hiding something by the adorable way that he was biting her lip, but she also already knew what it was. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out what happened to her, and to tell the truth, she would rather not have to hear him say it out loud. "Sounds like a movie or something."

"Well, hopefully it will have a happy ending than."

"Have we gone out on a date, yet?" Haley couldn't help but asking. There was just something about this guy that was screaming at her, telling her that she needed to do something now, before everything got so overwhelming tomorrow.

"What?" Nathan choked out in surprise. Did he just imagine that or did Haley really say what he thought she said? Because there was a very good chance that his mind was just playing tricks on him, making hear things that he wanted to hear. Haley smiled at his reaction. "Did we do what yet?"

"Go on a date," Haley repeated, trying to figure out what the big deal was. Damn, he must really have a crush on her if he was getting this fluttered at the mere suggestion of going on a date. Well, either that or he was appalled at the idea. She was kinda pulling for the second one. "Come on, I mean, I know I don't look my best, but am I really that ugly?"

"No!" Nathan quickly answered without thinking. His brain finally caught up with his mouth and he shut his eyes, willing for time to reverse. Way to play hard to get, man. Haley let out a little giggle, ignoring the slightest of pains that she felt in her stomach from her severely damaged ribs. She could only assume that meant the meds were starting to wear off. "No, it's not that. It's just, that kind of came out of nowhere."

"With all this flirting we've got going on?" Haley asked in amusement. Was he really that dense? "Look, I don't know what was holding us back before. Whether it was Brooke, or Blondie, or my parents, I don't know, but I don't care right now."

"That's just the meds talking," Nathan concluded. He had been afraid this was going to happen. There was nothing he wanted more than to kiss her right now, despite how broken her face was, that didn't matter to him. "You don't mean that."

"Come on, Nathan," Haley began. "I may be tripped out some, but I'm not completely gone. I may not know who you are, but I know that I like you." She brought her hand over to rest on his leg and she could feel him tense up under her touch. She smirked. "You said it yourself, tomorrow's going to hurt like hell. What's wrong with enjoying tonight?"

"I'm not going to take advantage of you like that," Nathan told her. He finally got control of himself and gently pushed her hand away. He saw the smile on Haley's face fall and he almost broke down, but he didn't. He slowly started moving off the bed. "I have never wanted to be with someone as much as I want to be with you, but I don't want it this way."

"Nathan…" she tried, reaching out to grab his hand again. He shook his head, giving her a reassuring smile as he sat back down in the chair.

"Don't worry about it," he told her, completely confidence in his words. "It'll happen when we're both ready, I know it will." He let out a deep breath, and relaxed in his chair, a content smile on his face. "And I can wait till then."

**...OTH...**

I hope that you guys liked it. There isn't much else to say, because I can't think of anything. Just please tell me what you think. Thanks.


	33. We Drown Traitors In Shallow Water

_Author's Note:_ Sorry that it's been so long, I was having a little bit of a writers block for this chapter. I know at least one thing that I want to explore a little bit later on in the story, but it will definitely be in later chapters, so I was having trouble thinking of something for this chapter. I'm still not 100 sure what this chapter is going to be like, but I know what the ending is going to be and I hope that you guys like that part. All I can promise you is a lot more drama and hurt is in store for our little Haley as well as some bumpy roads for Naley. I hope you're prepared for the ride. Enjoy this chapter and don't forget to tell me what you think.

**….OTH ….**

**..It seems like just yesterday you were checking their closets, and now you're the monster under the bed..**

Peyton, Lucas and Jake slowly walked down the halls of the unfamiliar hospital, looking for Brooke. They had spent the last half an hour searching for her and still hadn't come across her. After not finding her after fifteen minutes, Lucas had suggested that they head back down to Haley's room to see if she was back there yet, but Peyton quickly shut that idea down.

She knew that despite Haley's current physical state and her state of mind, Nathan still wanted some along time with her. She had known Nathan almost her entire life, and most of the time he was a pretty good guy, so she knew that she was leaving the already fragile Haley in good hands. If she didn't trust him, she never would have left with her boyfriend and Lucas.

Even though the situation was so incredibly far from ideal, she actually thought that their little relationship was quite cute. She had never seen Nathan act like that around a girl. Normally, he was obnoxiously self-confidant when he talked to pretty girls, but with Haley, he was completely different. With Haley, he was like every other seventeen year old boy – nervous as hell.

She felt terrible about what she had said to him earlier that night, about not being in love with Haley. What the hell did she know? Well, actually, she did have a strong feeling that Nathan wasn't actually in love with Haley, not yet anyway. And she had told him that. She didn't doubt his feelings for Haley for a second, but she honestly didn't think that it was possible for him to love her yet. Especially since he'd never been in love with anyone before.

"Where could she have possibly gone?" Lucas sighed as they strolled passed the children's ward for the third time. He wasn't worried about Brooke, he knew that she was somewhere in the building because she would never leave Haley like that, it was just a matter of finding her. "We've checked everywhere."

"Not everywhere," Jake spoke up, eyeing his friend. He had been pretty quiet the entire evening, only speaking when he was spoken too. Lucas and Peyton looked at him questioningly, but didn't stop walking. "We didn't check her dad's room."

"She wouldn't," Peyton answered immediately, a feeling of dread washing over her as she thought about what Brooke would do if she was in her father's room. She knew how Brooke got when it came to Haley, and she also knew just how much Brooke hated her father. She turned to Lucas for confirmation. "Right?"

"No," he agreed, nodding his head firmly. There wasn't a single bone in his body that could believe that Brooke would willingly hurt someone. Even if it was her bastard of a father.

"Where else could she be?" Jake didn't like the thought either, but he had to be the logical one. Peyton and Lucas didn't want to think that about Brooke, but he knew better than they did that she sure as hell was capable of doing what they were all thinking. He could tell by the way she acted that Brooke loved Haley the way that he loved Jenny, and there wasn't anything that could stop him if someone had hurt Jenny the way that Jimmy had hurt Haley.

"Maybe we should check just in case?" Peyton suggested, looking at Lucas to see if he agreed. She could tell that he didn't want to even think about it, but both of them knew that there was a slight possibility.

"Yeah, okay," he answered quietly and a bit regretfully. "But let's check Haley's room again first. There is a good chance she could be there." The couple nodded and the trio continued their walk towards the room they had just come from. As they rounded the corner, they were surprised to find a small crowd standing outside Haley's room. They were too far away to tell who it was though.

"Do you think everything's okay?" Peyton asked, a bit worried when she saw the people crowding around. There couldn't have been more than three people, but it still worried Peyton slightly. Crowds were never good at hospitals.

"I hope so," Lucas mumbled with a shrug, not being able to come up with a better answer. Normally he would just say that he was sure everything was okay, but things weren't exactly going too well lately, and it was starting to look like nothing was going okay at the moment.

"I think that's the lady from Brooke's old house," Jake told them after squinting to see who it was. After doing the same, Peyton and Lucas noticed it too. They picked up their pace and reached them in no time. All three of them were surprised to find Grace and Lori with them.

"Ms. James," Peyton stated, slight anger could be heard in her voice. She had never really liked the woman, she couldn't understand how she could always leave Brooke along like that, but after hearing about all the stuff she had done, or didn't do, with the Haley situation, she hated her even more. Her eyes softened a bit when she noticed Lorraine. "Hey, Lori."

"Hi, Peyton," she replied back in a soft voice. Peyton and Lori had a silent understanding. Both girls knew that Brooke wasn't too fond of the idea of Lori becoming her stepsister; it wasn't until now that they knew why, but they had always liked each other. Lori and Tony used to live in Tree Hill before they moved, and the girls had always gotten along in school.

"What are you too doing here?" Lucas asked, the harshness clear in his voice. He wasn't sure if Brooke had seen her mother yet, but he was sure that she wouldn't be happy. She hated her mother enough as it was, her having the nerve to come here now, would only drive her over the edge. "How did you even know Haley was here?"

"The hospital called," Grace told him in a defeated voice. She was used to being hated, and she really didn't have the energy to defend herself, not that she had anything to say. Hell, she hated herself right now. "I was just heading in to see her."

"Does Brooke know you're here?" Lucas wasn't really in the position to be ordering her around, but he knew that if Brooke was here, she would never let her mother in to see her sister, so he wasn't going to let that happen either.

"She saw me, she yelled and she stormed out," Grace sighed, getting impatient to go inside. She wasn't looking to make another scene, she just wanted to see her daughter. "She said that I could go in and see her now, and then leave. So if you'll excuse me, that's what I'm going to do."

"I don't think so," Lucas stated, moving to stand in front of the door. Peyton and Jake quickly reached out and grabbed either of his arms. "No way would Brooke let you in there. No after the shit job you did of being there for Haley. You're just as much to blame for this as he is."

"Brooke told her it was okay," Carol spoke up; a little scared at the boy's behavior. She was glad that there were other people that were willing to stick up for Haley, but she kind of felt sorry of the poor woman. She didn't know of anyone, with the exception of Jimmy, that was hated by this many people. "She figured it was better now, when Haley's a little calmer."

"Whatever," Lucas hissed, ripping his arms from Peyton and Jake's grip. With one more glare at his girlfriend's mother, he stalked over to the chairs in the waiting room and plopped down in the one he had been using before.

"We'll go cool him off," Peyton told them, smiling at Carol and Lori, pretty much ignoring Grace all together. "We'll just be over there if needed." Jake nodded at the three women and followed his girlfriend over to sit with their pissed off friend. Lucas Scott was never one to get angry easily, but nothing seemed to get him angrier than a bad parent, whether it be Brooke's mom or his dad.

"That was interesting," Carol commented, trying to break the awkward silence that had fallen upon them now that the three teenagers were gone. She could tell that Grace didn't want to talk about it, so she turned to Lori. She seemed like a nice girl. "Are they always that interesting."

"They're definitely from Tree Hill," Lori answered. If there was one thing the move had taught her, it was that there was never drama like there was in Tree Hill. That town was truly one of a kind. "There is a lot of baggage that comes with living in that town, let me tell you."

"I'll have to talk your word for it." Neither of them had noticed that Grace had already started pushing the door open as they talked. Before they could say anything, the door was completely open and Haley and Nathan were in full view.

"Ms. James," Nathan spoke in shock when he heard the door open. He had expected to find Brooke re-entering the room, not her sorry excuse for a mother. He glanced at Haley quickly, knowing that she didn't really like the woman.

"Hi," she answered, distractedly, her eyes glued on Haley's bruised and beaten body. She had been imagining this moment for the past two years, when she'd finally be able to see her baby again. She certainly never imagined it being like this. Finally, after she couldn't look at her any longer without wanting to throw up, Grace looked over at the boy sitting at Haley's bedside. "You're Nathan, right?"

"Yeah," he answered in a neutral tone. He didn't like her, and she didn't for a second, think that he did, but unlike her daughter and her boyfriend, he seemed to have a courtesy to hide it slightly and for that she was grateful. She didn't think she could take it if one more person yelled at her. "What are you doing here? How'd you know she was here?"

"The hospital called," Grace answered, noticing how his grip on Haley's hand tightened. She smiled slightly, finding it incredibly cute that Haley had only been in town for a week and she already both the infamous Scott brothers wrapped around her finger. She was beginning to get uncomfortable under his gaze and turned slightly to the younger girl at her side, hoping to draw some of the attention away from her. "Ah, this is…"

"Lori," he finished with a warm smile her way. "I remember."

"Hey, Nathan," she greeted with a slight wave, not knowing what was the best way to speak to him. When she had lived in Tree Hill, Nathan Scott was the king of the castle, and she doubted much had changed. She wasn't exactly in his league.

"What's going on?" Haley finally asked, looking back and forth between the three new women at the door and Nathan sitting beside her. She hated not knowing what the hell was going on, especially with all the obvious tension she could feel in the room. "I'm assuming I know you guys?"

"What's…" Grace started to ask; a little hurt that Haley didn't even recognize her. Was she really that bad of a parent that her daughter couldn't even remember what she looked like after only two years?

"It's the drugs," Nathan explained, shifting uncomfortably in his chair.

"Yeah, I don't really remember anything at the moment," Haley explained, eyeing the redheaded woman. She could the same feeling she could when she saw Brooke enter the room before. She definitely knew her. "But you're my … mom?"

"Yeah, that's me," Grace quickly answered, a smile gracing her lips when Haley knew who she was. Maybe she wasn't a lost cause after all. Throwing caution to the wind, Grace took a step forward, moving away from Loraine and Carol, and further into the room. Her eyes never left Haley's face. "Nathan, would you mind giving me a few minutes alone with Haley?"

"Oh, um…" he trailed off, not knowing what to say. His first instinct was to scream no in her face, but quickly controlled himself, having been taught that it was nice to respect his elders, especially when they were female and his friend's mother. He turned to look at Haley for the answer. "That's really up to Haley."

"I guess," she shrugged. She wasn't sure what was going on, but she imaged that she didn't have the best relationship with her mother for whatever reason. Even though that was obvious, she didn't see the harm in having the conversation with her, figuring that it would be easier if she didn't know what was going on. She tore her gaze from Nathan to look at her mother. She looked harmless enough. "I don't see why not."

"Are you sure?" Nathan asked, wanting to be 100 sure that Haley was going to be okay alone with her. He knew how she felt, or how she would feel if she was sober, at the thought, but if that's what she wanted, there wasn't really much he could do. Plus, he imaged that Brooke had already seen her, and given her the okay. How that miracle happened, he'd never know.

"I'm sure," Haley assured him with a smile, finding it sweet that he was worried about her. "You worry too much."

"You would too if you had the slightest idea what was going on," Nathan teased her. He abruptly stood up from his seat, leaned forward and gave Haley a gentle kiss on the forehead. "I'll just be outside," he whispered to her, brushing some of the hair out of her face and behind her ear.

"I'll be fine." They shared a smile, forgetting that there were three other people in the room. Nathan couldn't believe how beautiful she looked, even with all her bruises and cuts; she was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. There wasn't a part of him that wasn't attracted to her.

Finally he realized that there were eyes on them and he pulled back. With one last smile, and a nod in Carol and Lori's direction, he slipped out of the room, leaving the women alone.

The room echoed in silence, everyone too afraid to speak. Grace didn't even know where to begin, after practicing this over and over again for the past two years, she was drawing a complete blank. Lori felt completely out of place. She really had no idea who Haley was, apart from who she _was_. She didn't know here like Grace and Carol knew her, and she felt out of place.

"I think I'm gonna go find Brooke," Lori announced, her voice surprisingly low. She didn't know why, but she felt like it was a whispering kind of situation, as if Haley would suddenly remember everything if she spoke too loudly. Grace turned around sharply at the unexpected voice behind her. "Tell her everything."

"Okay," Grace nodded, swallowing the guilt she felt at Lori's words. She still couldn't believe what the girl had told her earlier that night. She watched her leave the room and turned to Carol, expecting her to do the same. She didn't move.

"If you don't mind," Carol started, a little nervous, but firm. "I think I'll stay in here. I'll just sit in the corner or something, but I think Haley would be more comfortable if I stayed." Grace couldn't hide the hurt that cross her face, but she quickly hid it. How sad was it that she needed supervision with her own daughter.

"Yeah, o-okay." Carol gave her a sad smile, feeling bad about what she was doing, but knowing that is what Haley would really want. She nodded silently, moving towards the other end of the room and taking a seat in the chair in the corner, letting mother and daughter have their space.

"So…" Haley drew out, her voice showing just how confused she was at the entire situation. She didn't know much about what happened between her parents, just the quick and brief overview that Nathan had given her a few minutes ago. "What's going on?"

**..Never ask a question if you're not prepared to deal with the answer..**

Brooke let out a sigh, rubbing her hands together as the cold wind blew passed her. She was starting to think that it wasn't such a good idea to come outside. Maybe she should have just hid in the bathroom again. She didn't know what she was thinking when she hadn't changed at her old house. Maybe if she weren't wearing her freaking dress then she wouldn't be so God damn cold.

She shook her head, roughly wiping the tears off her face. She shouldn't be doing this. She shouldn't be getting mad at herself when she was really angry with her mother. She just couldn't believe that she would even have the audacity to come there like nothing had happened, playing the concerned mom card. What a load of shit.

Her mother wasn't allowed to be worried about Haley. No one was allowed to be worried about Haley. They didn't understand the situation like Brooke did, they just didn't get it. They didn't sit up late every night with her after their father hit her for the hundredth time, they didn't get Haley like she did. They just didn't.

Brooke could faintly hear footsteps coming her way and she wiped harder, not wanting anyone to see her crying anything. She was starting to think that all she did was cry nowadays. She sniffled back the remaining tears and wrapped her arms around her waist, resting the back of her head against the cold bricks of the wall.

"Brooke?" came the distant voice. She didn't know who she had expected it to be; Lucas, Nathan, Peyton, even her mom, but Lori was the last person she would have thought of. She sat up straighter for some reason.

"Lori?" she asked in a shaky voice. She silently cursed herself for making it obvious that she had just been crying. Lori nodded towards the ground beside her, silently asking permission to sit down. It took Brooke a moment to realize what she was asking before she moved over. "Oh, yeah. Sorry."

"Whatcha doing out here?" she asked as she carefully sat down, making a face when she finally made contact with the freezing gravel. "All your friends are in the waiting room."

"I just needed some air," Brooke explained. She didn't know what was going on, but for some reason, all the resentment she used to feel towards the other girl was gone. She didn't know if it was because she knew that Haley was going to be back in her life permanently, or because she was no longer hiding her sister, but she just didn't hold any grudges against her anymore. And it felt nice.

"She really gets to you, huh?" Lori asked, knowingly. She had observed the interaction between the two for as long as her father had been dating Grace, and she could always sense the hatred. She never knew what had been the cause of it, but she certainly did now.

"You have no idea."

"So, I meet Haley." She could sense that Brooke wanted to get off the topic of her mother so she thought it would be a good idea to shift the conversation to something that involved the reason they were all there in the first place. She saw the slight smile come to Brooke's face at the name, but the sadness in her eyes wasn't far behind. "Well, I didn't really meet her, there were no formal introductions or anything, but I saw her."

"She's beautiful, isn't she?"

"She's your twin sister," Lori pointed out in a mocking tone. "How could she not be?" Brooke couldn't help the little laugh that escape at her words and for that Lori was grateful. It may not seem like much, but for Brooke to laugh right now, no matter how small or superficial, was a feat.

"Thanks." Lori watched as the smile on Brooke's face faded slightly as her thoughts started to creep back up. Lori silently fought with herself, debating how she should tell Brooke. She knew she had to, even if it killed her to admit it, Brooke needed to know the whole story.

"Look, Brooke," she started, the tone in her voice checking Brooke's attention immediately. The brunette turned her head to look at the other girl. "There's something I really need to tell you."

"What's going on?" Brooke hoped that this wasn't something seriously bad because she wasn't sure how much more bad news she could take.

"Remember when you went to your mom in that restaurant last weekend?" She nodded her head. How could she forget? "My dad was really upset that your mom didn't tell him about Haley; they fought all night back at the hotel, I'm not even sure if they're still together or not."

"He would break up with her over that?"

"He doesn't take lying very lightly," Lori explained. "My mom cheated on him, that's why they got divorced, so he's kind of paranoid about that kind of stuff." Brooke nodded, waiting for her to get back on track. "Anyway, he ended their little weekend early and ended driving home that night. I didn't get home till earlier today cause I was staying with Kerry in her parent's suite."

"Is this going somewhere?" Brooke didn't mean to be rude; she just wanted to get this over with. She couldn't stand not knowing how mad or sad she should be.

"Right, sorry," Lori mumbled, taking a deep breath. Here was the hard part. "This is the hard part. Okay, um, when I got home, my dad was acting really weird, almost guilty or something. I asked him what he did, cause I had heard about their fight and what you said at the restaurant, and he told me that he had called your dad."

"What?" Brooke couldn't believe her ears. She had been wondering how her father had found Haley, he didn't know where they lived, but she hadn't really thought about it much since finding Haley.

"Your mom didn't believe what you said about what he did to her, so I guess he didn't either," Lori tried to explain, desperate to find an excuse for her father's horrible and unforgivable actions. "It took him a while to dig up what his name was, where he lived, his number and everything. He finally found it and called him, told him where Haley was, I guess."

"I can't believe it," Brooke whispered. She had always kind of liked Tony; he was a far better man than her father ever was. Now this? He was responsible for all of this? Everything that happened to Haley tonight?

"Brooke, I'm so sorry," Lori tried, seeing the wheels turning in Brooke's head. She didn't know what she was thinking, but she knew that it couldn't be good. "I went back to the hotel and told your mother everything and we were on our way to your father's house when the hospital called."

"I need to get some air," Brooke said in a robotic tone. Lori followed her movements as she pushed herself off the ground and into a standing position.

"But you're already outside."

"Inside air," Brooke answered distractedly. With one last look at Lori, she walked passed her and back into the hospital. She didn't know where she was going. She didn't want to see her mother, she didn't want to see Carol and she didn't want to see her friends. The only person she wanted to see was Haley. And yet seeing Haley in the state she was in, terrified Brooke beyond reason.

She was pretty much screwed.

**….OTH….**

Well, that's all. I didn't get to the part I wanted to do, so I'll have to wait until next chapter. I guess that one will be the juicy one. Hope you enjoyed it and please continue to leave amazing reviews for me. I absolutely love them.

Also, I just wanted to ask you, would you guys be interested in seeing the conversation between Grace and Haley, or should I leave that out?


	34. Burn the City Down to Show You the Light

_Author's Note:_ Hey all. I'm so sorry that it's been so long since my last update. And I'm not here to give you any excuses, I just couldn't write anything and I don't know why. But I finally sat down and did it, so I hope you forgive me. I know that I promised big drama, but the original plan I had for the next plot twist isn't going to work out, so I've sketched it. I'll have to think of some other things to entertain you, and I think I can think of a few. Anyway, thank you all so much for the wonderful reviews, please keep them coming and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**shehasnotime**: I just wanted to let you know that I'm holding you to that deal. I updated, now you have to. That's how it works ;)

**….OTH….**

**…I understand with love comes pain, but why did I have to love so much?…**

Peyton's eyes traveled towards Nathan's direction in an annoyed fashion. They hadn't been sitting there for longer than five minutes and already both Scott brothers were starting to drive her crazy. To her left, Lucas was cursing out Grace under her breath and to her right, Nathan wouldn't stop fidgeting. She knew he was nervous, they all were, but he needed to lay off the coffee.

"Nate, could you…" she trailed off, letting her eyes linger on his leg so he would know what she was talking about. Nathan's head jerked up to find her staring at his leg and he immediately still it from its jerking.

"Sorry," he mumbled, stopping the movement and began to ring his hands together. He needed to do something to keep himself busy, otherwise he would completely snap. He knew that it had been a bad idea to let Grace go in there and talk to Haley, especially alone, but if Brooke had really given her permission, it wasn't really his place to say anything.

He hoped that Haley didn't remember their conversation once she sobered up, her's and Grace's conversation, that is. He wasn't sure how much she would remember after she got the drugs, but he prayed to God that she remembered what they had talked about in the room. He had finally, in a way attempted his feelings, even though it wasn't really necessary.

He and Haley were in the stage were both parties involve knew where each other's feelings stood, and they had an understanding. Not to mention that their attraction was extremely obvious to the rest of their friends. He just needed to wait, now thanks to Jimmy, even longer, for them to finally be together.

And he could, _would_, wait for her to be ready. Haley had enough pain to deal with when they first meet, now with everything that has just happened, it's going to be even worse, he was sure. He just hoped that he could be there with her every step of the way to help her heal.

"I can't believe the nerve of that woman," Lucas continued to rant, his words now falling on completely deaf ears. The three of them had listened to him for the first minute, but when he didn't stop, they completely blocked him out after that. "After everything that she hasn't done in the past two years. She makes me sick."

"I'm gonna get a coffee," Jake announced, running a frustrated hand through his hair and standing up. He couldn't take Luke's rambling anymore, no matter how much he agreed with it. "Anybody else want anything?" He was meet with three blank stares and he could only take those for no.

"I'll come with you," Peyton decided even though she didn't want anything to drink. She just needed to get the hell away from those too. She knew that she should probably cut them some slack; the women that they love were in pain, after all. She couldn't imagine how annoying she would be if Jake was in the hospital. "Help you find it."

"Oh, I know where it is," Jake began, not noticing the look Peyton was sending him, pleading with him to get her out of there. "We passed by it earlier when we were looking for Brooke…"

"I'll help you carry the cups," Peyton tried again, this time standing up.

"But I'm only getting one…" Before he had a chance to finish what he was saying, Peyton had grabbed him by the arm and was already pulling him away in the direction of the coffee. Lucas and Nathan were too busy with their own thoughts to notice their friends' absences.

"You okay, man?" Lucas asked his little brother, suddenly stopping his rant when he realized that they were alone. He glanced around the room and saw Jake and Peyton standing down the hall at the coffee place. He turned back to his brother and moved into Peyton's empty seat so they were beside each other. "Nathan?"

"Huh?"

"You okay?" he repeated, looking into the dark blue eyes of his brother. Lucas had always been pretty good at reading people, but when it came to Nathan, he was like an open book, every emotion he felt was written on his face. Lucas was a little surprised to see so much hatred, sadness, anguish and worry in his eyes. Luke couldn't remember the last time he had ever seen Nathan look like that. "I mean, how are you holding up?"

"I don't know," Nathan answered. He didn't like to open up to people, tell them what he was feeling; it made him feel too vulnerable. His father had always taught him not to be weak, and by showing emotion, that would be exactly what he was. Up until he meet Haley last week, Lucas and occasionally Peyton, had been the only people that he ever talked to about how he was feeling. "Honestly, I'm falling apart here, man."

"Yeah," Luke let out, nodding his head at the words. His eyes traveled around the waiting room, where there were only a few other people, maybe seven, waiting for a friend or family member. He wondered who they were there to see, what was wrong with that person, and he wondered if the other people could tell why he was there. Probably not. "I know what you mean."

"How could you?" Nathan asked, his voice calm still. Usually in high stress situations like this, he would snap at people, go into self-destruct mode, but for some reason, he wasn't tonight, he was surprisingly, maybe even eerily calm about everything. He imagined it had to do with the fact that he needed to be strong for Haley, she was counting on him. "The girl you love isn't lying in a hospital bed and there's nothing you can do about it. Brooke's not in there."

"No, she's not," Lucas agreed gently, smiling slightly at Nathan's use of love, but choosing to look past that for now. "But she is walking around like a zombie. Look man, Brooke is in just as much pain as Haley is in right now." Nathan opened his mouth to protest that ridiculous statement, but snapped it shut when he saw the glare from his brother. "Seriously, think about it. What's worse, being in pain yourself or seeing the person you love more than anything in pain?"

"The second one," Nathan answered immediately, knowing that he would take being in pain over seeing Haley the way she is now any day. "I would switch places with Haley in a heartbeat."

"And you don't think that Brooke feels the same way?" Lucas asked, not really looking for an answer because he already knew it and he was certain the other boy did as well. "You don't think she woke up every morning for the past to years, wondering why Haley was the one that got stuck with their dad in the divorce and not her? You don't think that Brooke feels gut wrenching guilt over everything that's happened to her sister?"

"I guess," Nathan answered lamely, his eyes traveling to the girl they were talking about as she wandered by them, looking completely lost. He kept his eyes on her for a moment, pretending that it was Haley that he was watching walk around, like the whole thing was just some cruel joke, Haley was really okay after all. After Brooke turned the corner in the direction of Haley's room, Nathan turned back to look at his brother, only to find that he had been watching Brooke as well.

"So, yeah, I know how you feel," Lucas said again, his eyes lingering on the spot that Brooke had just been for a moment, before turning back to the conversation he was having with Nathan. "I hate seeing Brooke like this. It's like she's broken or something, like she just lost this big chunk of herself."

"Like she lost her other half," Nathan filled in for him, knowing exactly what Brooke looked like. He knew first hand the incredible bond that Brooke and Haley shared, more so than Lucas, so he would have known what Brooke looked like even if he hadn't just seen her.

"Yeah," he nodded, surprised that his brother understood where he was coming from. He had been getting the feeling that he was starting to resent the bond between Brooke and Haley, but now, apparently not. "And that's why I attacked Jimmy. When I saw him pointing that gun at Haley, something inside of me just snapped, and I dove at him, not even thinking about the possibility that I could get shot."

"So you just snapped?" Nathan asked, wondering if his brother felt the same gut feeling he did when he had first stumbled into the mess in the forest. Was that instant need to protect and destroy just the common reaction for any human?

"He was going to kill her," Lucas retold, trying his best to remember what exactly happened that second. It had all happened so fast, that entire part of the night was almost a completely blur, probably since he was out of the fight pretty quickly. "And that would have completely destroyed Brooke. And I would do anything to keep Brooke from any kind of pain, so I just reacted, you know?"

"That's actually really cool of you," Nathan told him, nodding his head in Luke's direction, wanting to make sure that he knew he was proud of him. There had been times in his life that he thought Lucas was a bit of a pansy, a mama's boy, but tonight proved him wrong. He used to think that being in love was a sight of weakness, but now he knew that it was really just a sign of strength.

"Thanks, little brother."

"No," Nathan protested, shaking his head. "Thank you. You saved Haley's life, and that's something Brooke and me can never repay you for."

"How about you just let me win the next few games down at the Rivercourt?" he suggested with a smile. The situation was already intense enough; he didn't want to add to it. "I gotta impress the ladies, you know? You never know when I might need one."

"It's only a matter of time before Brooke dumps your sorry ass," Nathan chuckled, smirking at Lucas as he rolled his eyes and pretended to be hurt by his words. The brothers shared a laugh and once they were calm, and the light heartedness had disappeared, they were left with their thoughts again. Things that they'd rather not be thinking about.

… **Two little girls, on their way home from Sunday school, were solemnly discussing the lesson. "Do you believe there is a devil?" asked one. "No," said the other promptly. "He's like Santa Claus: he's your father"…**

Brooke wandered aimlessly around the hospital halls, trying to find a safe place to go. She had come back inside a few minutes ago, making sure to go the opposite way of the waiting room. She loved that he friends were there for both her and Haley, but she just couldn't deal with them at the moment. She also knew that isolating herself like this when she had so much stuff to deal with probably wasn't the best idea, but she just needed some time alone to process everything that had happened in the past week, resulting in the hell that was that evening.

She could still remember all the fear, the anger and the hatred that had coursed through her the moment she realized that it was her twin sister standing in the middle of the Café. She wasn't sure what it was, but now that she thought about it, there had been a horrible feeling in her stomach all night, almost telling her that something terrible was going to happen.

Yes, she always knew that she wasn't going to be able to keep her sister safe from their father forever, but there was a little part of her that wished she could. When they were little, as long as they were together, it seemed that nothing really bad could ever happen. Now that they were both older and wiser, things were so far from being that simple.

So when Karen phoned them at the dance to tell them what was going on, she couldn't recall ever feeling so scared or so guilty. She still couldn't believe that she had been so stupid as to leave Haley alone for an entire night, just a week after she escaped the hell that she had been living for the past two years. She knew that she shouldn't have gone, she told Haley and Lucas that, but they both insisted that everything would be okay. Obviously, they were wrong.

Brooke shook her head, wrapping her arms tighter around her waist as if she was still cold. She was still on the ground floor; she didn't dare go anywhere near the elevator in fear of what she might do. She could still feel the overwhelming urge to kill her father, but she was doing a much better job of fighting that urge. Carol was right; she wouldn't be doing anyone any good if she got her ass thrown in jail.

She was still trying to figure out how actually she felt about everything that she had done tonight. There was a part of her that knew no one really held her responsible for the things she had done or the things she had said because she was in more than a stressful situation. She still felt bad about what she and Peyton had said to Nathan, but that was hardly her biggest regret of the night.

The most stressful part of the problem was, she didn't know what she regretted more; the fact that she actually shot her own father or that fact that she didn't kill him. If she was being honest with herself, she already knew that answer. It was the latter, and she hated herself for that, but she knew that if she could somehow go back in time to that exact moment, she would do it all over again, but she'd make it count this time.

That thought alone made her want to throw up.

Brooke's eyes wandered up when she noticed she was back where she had started. She was standing outside of Haley's hospital room. She glanced around her to see if any of her friends were around. She could see Peyton's curly hair around the corner and assumed Lucas, Nathan and Jake were in there with her. She could see them, but they couldn't see her, and she liked it that way. There was nothing she hated more than being pitied and seen as weak in any form.

She didn't remember consciously making the decision to come to her sister's room, it was like her feet had lead her there, just like when she went to give her father a little visit. She could only assume that this was her mind's way of telling her that she needed to suck it up and go in to see her sister. But she wasn't sure if she could do that.

It had been hard enough to look at her that night in that Café, she was so bloody and beaten, but she looks about ten times worse right now, and Brooke didn't know if she could handle that. It killed her to see Haley in any kind of pain, especially now that there was nothing she could do about it. There was no one she could go beat up or make fun of, and she couldn't kiss it better either. What was done was done, and now she had to face it.

"Come on, Tigger," she chastised herself, taking a deep breath. "You can do this. It's Haley, your Haley, you can do this; you have to see her." Closing her eyes for a spilt second, completely forgetting that her mother was currently in there with her sister, she reached towards the doorknob.

"Brookie?" came a voice from behind. Brooke immediately froze at the voice, her hand already wrapped around the knob. She would know that voice anywhere, as much as that fact surprised her, there was just something about it that grated on her last nerve. She could never forget it. "Is that you?" Brooke let her hand drop from the handle and she turned around to face one of her least favorite people in the world; her half sister.

"Taylor, what are you doing here?" she as in an extremely annoyed tone. She and Taylor had never gotten along, she was always jealous of Haley's adoration of the girl.

Taylor James was the daughter of Jimmy James and Lydia Beaugard, the woman that Jimmy had been with before he married Grace. Jimmy and Lydia were never married and by the time Lydia had given birth to Taylor, Jimmy was engaged to Grace. Jimmy would have Taylor come by to stay the weekend every two weeks, just to make the illusion of actually being a good father. Grace didn't like Taylor much, but that feeling was mutual, as Taylor always thought of her as the woman that stole her father from her mother.

"The hospital called to tell me about Dad," she answered, sending a genuinely sympathetic smile Brooke's way. Taylor knew that Brooke didn't like her much, but she had always had a soft spot for both of her little sisters, though she did prefer Haley over Brooke. "They said that he was shot. Is he okay?"

"Yeah, he's doing just fine," Brooke spat at her, getting even more annoyed by the minute. Taylor had always seen their father as perfect, despite his obvious imperfections and she didn't think she could stomach her idealizations right now, not with Haley in the next room. "He's in room 314. Go knock yourself out."

"Have you seen him?" Brooke bit her tongue and nodded. "What about the guy that shot him, have they found him yet?" Brooke couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. She didn't lie to the cop when he asked her, so she saw no point in lying to her older sister.

"You're looking at her," she answered; the only trace of emotion in her voice was the slightest bit of pride. It took Taylor a moment to register her sister's words. Did she just hear what she thought she heard? As the words finally processed, her eyes bulged out of her skull.

"You shot Dad?"

"Yeah, I did," Brooke answered, bringing her had to rest on her hip, almost daring Taylor to say something to her about it. It wasn't until just now, that she realized she was proud of what she did. Someone needed to stop that bastard, and she was glad that she had gotten the honor of shooting his sorry ass. "And I'm sorry it didn't kill him."

"What the hell is your problem, you psycho?" Taylor demanded, stepping forward so she was closer to Brooke. She knew that Brooke didn't really care that much about their father, hell the only person Taylor could remember her giving a crap about was Haley, but to do this? What the hell?

"Back the hell up, Tay," Brooke warned her, her eyes blazing. Taylor knew better than to test her when she got like that. "You don't know anything, so just back off."

"Why the hell would you do that?" Taylor asked again, backing up slightly. Brooke shot their father, who knows what she would do to her. "Where did you even get a gun in the first place?"

"It was his," Brooke answered, the anger in her voice from moments ago already disappearing. Here she was again, about to shut down. And she was doing so well too. It just seemed that every time she had to think about what happened just a couple of hours ago, she went into some kind of emotional shut down. "The one he was about to use to blow Haley's brains out."

"What?" Taylor choked out, once again unable to understand what her sister was saying. Her father was going to kill Haley? No, that couldn't be true. Taylor shook her head, absolutely refusing to believe the words. "No, no, Dad would never do that."

"Open your eyes, Taylor," Brooke exclaimed, shocked at Taylor's obliviously behavior. "Dad, the guy you think is so freaking perfect, has been beating your little sister senseless for the past two years." Taylor continued to shake her head; still refusing to believe it, there was no way.

"No."

"Yes," Brooke repeated, her voice bordering on harsh. "Haley's called me almost every night after he beat the crap out of her, and last week he fucking raped her! He's a monster, okay, Taylor? He's not the guy you want him to be."

"You're lying," Taylor stated, even though she knew Brooke wasn't. Brooke wouldn't joke about something like that, Haley was way too important to her to even think about something that horrible happening to her. Brooke let out a bitter laugh.

"I'm lying, huh?" She reached forward, grabbing a hold of Taylor's arm and pulling her towards her. She turned her around so she was facing Haley's door and forced her to look in the window. "Look at her, Taylor. Look at what our father has done to our little sister, and tell me that I'm lying."

"Oh, God," she whispered, her eyes glued on Haley's black and blue form in her hospital room. She could barely recognize her as the adorable young woman she had been fooling around with just two weeks ago. Even though the sight filled her with rage and gave her the overwhelming urge to throw up, she couldn't look away. "He did this to her?"

"Yeah," Brooke whispered back, making sure that she didn't look inside. She was actually starting to feel sorry for the older girl. There was nothing worse the day you find out that your father isn't Superman, that he's really Lex Luther. "And if my boyfriend hadn't gotten there when he did, he would have killed her." Brooke silently thanked Lucas for the millionth time that night. She was really going to have to remember to tell him how much she owed him for saving Haley like that.

"Why would he do that to her?" Taylor asked, more to herself than to Brooke. She honestly never would have thought her father was capable of something like this. "Haley has never done anything wrong in her entire life, she's like the perfect daughter."

"Tell me about it," was Brooke's only response to that question. She knew that Taylor wasn't asking her, but she had been asking herself that question since the night Haley first called her and told her what was going on. And to this day, she still didn't have an answer. "Nobody deserves what he's done to her, nobody."

"I have to…" Taylor began, finally tearing her eyes off of her sister. She had always thought of Haley as her full sister, not caring about the fact that they had different mothers. Besides, neither Haley nor Brooke were anything like their mother. Taylor gulped, taken aback by the pain she saw in Brooke's eyes. If this was affecting her this much, she couldn't even begin to imagine what Brooke was feeling. "I can't be here, see her like that."

Brooke just nodded mutely as the blonde walked past her, and watched her go down the hall. Taylor may not know where she was going, but Brooke knew exactly where she was going, where all Haley's sisters went. She just hoped that Taylor could finish what she had started.

With a sigh, Brooke closed her eyes and took a deep breath, reaching for the doorknob. It was now or never. She just needed to suck it up and see Haley, and then they could start getting better, the same way they had done everything since they were babies.

Together.

**….OTH….**

Okay, that's it. I hope that you all liked it, please comment to tell me what you think. I know most of you are thinking that the Taylor thing is pretty random, but I love Taylor and her relationship with Haley on the show, and I needed a new character for an upcoming storyline, so I thought who else would be better than Taylor? I hope you don't mind.

Once again, please tell me what you think. And I promise not to take as long next time. Peace.


	35. I Shine A Little More Lately

_Author's Note:_ Hey, all. Sorry I couldn't get this up sooner, but I had to study quick time for my last exam. I hope I did okay. Please tell me what you think. I hope it isn't all choppy cause I did it over the course of a couple days. Please tell me what you think.

**--OTH--**

**--What is that you express in your eyes? It seems to me more than all the words I have read in my life --**

Brooke's hand rested on the doorknob for another moment, her mind and her heart arguing over what to do. In her head, she knew that she wasn't going to be able to take the sight of her black and blue sister, but her heart couldn't take being away from her any longer.

In was in Brooke's nature to protect Haley. Yes, they were only a few minutes apart in age, but in situations like this, Brooke felt years older. The things that Haley had to go through, they made her weak and helpless, and she needed a big sister. And since Taylor had no idea what the hell had been going on for the past two years, that was her job.

She felt like those kids with alcoholic parents. They were always so much more mature than any of the other kids their age. They had to take care of their mother or father, something that no teenager should ever have to do. It's a sad time when the roles are switched and you had to be the adult in situations like that.

Brooke didn't mind those. She didn't see it as a burden of any kind like she was sure those kids did. What Haley's going through, she didn't cause it, and she sure as hell didn't ask Brooke to help her with it. Being there for Haley, protecting her, was something that Brooke did because she wanted to. It sucked more than she could ever explain that they were in a situation like this, but there was nothing she could do about it now.

What she could do, however, was move her fat ass, and get inside that room. She had already bailed on her earlier, leaving her in a room full of practical strangers, and she was currently in there with their deadbeat mother. So much for being there for her. Brooke shook her head, not ready to go into a guilt trip at the moment, and finally forced her hand to turn the knob and push the door open.

At the sound of the door opening, three sets of eyes were suddenly upon her. She could see the disappointment in her mother's eyes at her entrance, probably upset that she didn't get enough time to spent with Haley, and she saw the smile on Haley's face at her presence, which just made her feel worse about ditching her before.

"Brooke," her mother greeted her in an unreadable tone. She was obviously at too happy to see her, but she was certainly not in any kind of position to complain. She knew she was lucky that Brooke didn't kick her out of the hospital the moment she laid eyes on her. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see Haley," Brooke answered, her eyes landing everywhere but on her sister's face. Being in the room was one thing, looking into her eyes after everything that had happened that night, seeing all that pain, that was a completely different story.

"But I thought you said that I could talk to her," Grace reminded her, an edge coming to her voice. She couldn't believe that she had let things get so bad that she actually had to ask her daughter permission to talk to her other daughter. That was just sad, but deep down, she knew that she deserved it.

"Yeah, uh, sorry," Brooke stammered, trying to suppress the urge to jump at the chance to get out of this. She had to stay; she was going to have to face her sister some how. After all, she was going to be living with her from now on, so she was going to be seeing her like this for a while. "I just really need to be here right now. If you don't mind, you can talk to her later, I just need…"

"Sure," Grace finally sighed, seeing that if she denied her daughter this request, she might lose all hope of ever getting things back to the way they used to be when the girls were little. She nodded her head when Brooke smiled weakly at her and turned back to Haley. She, like everyone else, was finding it hard to look at Haley. "It was so nice to finally see you again, sweetie. You have no idea how much I've missed you."

"It was good seeing you again too, I think," Haley replied with a friendly smile. She knew that she shouldn't like this woman, no one had come right out and said it, but judging by the way people acted around her and about her, she could only assume that she wasn't the best mom in the world. Still, Haley knew she was her mom, and for some reason, couldn't bring herself to hate her because of that.

"Mom?" Brooke called out to get her attention when she made no move towards the door. Brooke almost had to gag herself to keep from either screaming at her mother for acting so perfect around Haley or to keep herself from throwing up. It took Grace a moment to register that Brooke was calling her name and she tore her gaze away from Haley and turned back to her other daughter.

"Right," she nodded; hiding her disappointed about as well as she hid her wrinkles. "Well, I'll just be in the waiting room with your friends. Do you know if Lori is out there?" Brooke shook her head and shrugged her shoulders. She assumed that's where she was. "Okay, I'm sure I'll find her." Without another word, and just one more quick glance in Haley's direction, Grace was out the door, leaving the other three behind.

"I think my work here is done," Carol exclaimed, standing up from her seat in the corner. She was glad that Brooke interrupted when she did because she wasn't very comfortable sitting in on the conversation between Haley and Grace, but she knew that she needed to be there. "You don't need supervision, do you?"

"No, we're good," Brooke answered, still not looking at Haley, even though she could feel her sister's gaze burning a hole through her. Brooke watched as Carol moved towards the door. "Oh, wait. Actually, could you do me a favor?"

"Just name it."

"Taylor stopped by," Brooke began, assuming that if Carol had been seeing Jimmy for as long as she has, that she'd have meet Taylor by now. Carol nodded her head, indicating that she can continue. "I told her everything that happened, and she was shocked to say the least."

"Is she okay?" Carol knew how much Taylor idealized her father, and she didn't imagine that it could be very easy to learn information like this. She also knew how much Taylor cared for Haley and she had talked to Haley about the blonde a couple times, and she said they were close, but nowhere near as close as she was with Brooke.

"I honestly don't know," Brooke told her, a bit of worry slipping into her voice that she didn't intent to. "She looked devastated, but I don't know if that's from finding out about daddy dearest or seeing her precious Haley-bub like that."

"I'm right here," Haley informed them, not liking being referred to like that when she was sitting right there. Brooke threw her a quick apology over her shoulder and turned back to her conversation with Carol.

"Either way," she continued. "She said she was going to go walk around, and I know from experience where her feet will lead her, so…"

"I'm on it," Carol assured her, wasting no time and quickly dashing out of the room. A part of Brooke didn't want Carol to get there in time because she really did want to see her father dead, but deep down she didn't want Taylor's future to be the cost for it. It looks like Brooke was just going to have to settle for the knowledge that her father would rot in jail for the rest of his life, instead.

"So," Haley spoke up, wanting to get Brooke's attention. She hated the uncomfortable silence that had fallen over them. She hated that they were so awkward around each other, they were sisters – it shouldn't be awkward, and she hated that it was her fault. "You're the twin sister that I've heard so much about, huh?"

"That's me," Brooke answered in a sad tone. She shifted on her feet, not too sure what she should do now. She had been so determined to come in here, yet she had no idea what she should say now. She never had to worry about what to say in front of her sister before, and she hated that she had to now.

"Well, I haven't seen myself yet, but I hope we're identical twins." Despite her despair, Brooke couldn't stop the smile that appeared on her face and she didn't have an explanation for the tears that came to her eyes.

"Nah," Brooke laughed, happy beyond belief that Haley still had her playful side, even in her current state, but she didn't imagine that would be the case tomorrow. Haley gave her a fake pout. "You got the looks and the brains."

"Wow, I got the looks?" Haley asked in fake shock. "I must be extremely hot than." Haley was hoping that the tears were happy ones because hurting her sister was the last thing that she wanted to do. It was weird, even in her state of total confusion, she knew that Brooke meant everything to her and that she meant everything to Brooke. It was like how she knew she and Nathan had feelings for each other. Maybe there were just some things you can't forget.

"You're gorgeous, baby," Brooke confirmed with a warm smile. She finally brought herself to look up at her sister's face, and the first thing she noticed was that even with all her bruises and stitches and cuts, she was still probably the most beautiful girl she'd ever seen. "Even now." Haley smiled at the, watching the way Brooke was shifting from foot to foot.

"Then if I'm not hideous, why won't you come over here?" Haley could tell that Brooke was obviously upset about this, all her 'friends' were, but it was so clear that Brooke was taking it the hardest of all, Nathan coming in behind.

"Oh, sorry," Brooke whispered, forcing her feet to move towards the bed. Once she was beside the bed, she was debating whether to sit in the chair or get on the bed with her sister. Normally, she wouldn't hesitate to get up there and just snuggle up with her hurt sister, but she wasn't sure about it right now. "How're you feeling?" She decided it would be best to sit in the chair, at least until they were both more comfortable with each other, and settled for holding her hand.

"Confused, but things are starting to clear up," she answered, her eye glancing down to where their linked hands rested on the bed. She could still feel were Nathan's hand had been. "I think I'm starting to remember bits and pieces of things. I keep getting these little flashes, mostly childhood stuff. You're in most of them, at least I think it's you, but nothing from tonight yet."

"That's probably a good thing," Brooke decided, silently dreading what Haley would be like when she finally remembered everything that happened. She was positive that this bright girl that was in front of her wouldn't be there anymore, that she was going to be completely broken.

"Yeah," Haley agreed. "I don't think I had a very good time tonight." She gave Brooke a sad smile, even though it hurt her cut lip. Any facial movements were hard, but smiling hurt the most. "I'm a little scared, about remembering, you know? I'd rather not."

"I don't blame you," Brooke whispered, squeezing Haley's hand in reassurance. "I wish I could forget everything about tonight too, but trust me, it can't happened, and I've tried everything."

"This is pretty hard on you too, huh?" Haley asked as if she just realized how much this whole thing was hurting Brooke. Brooke's eyes snapped up at the question and locked on Haley's.

"Of course it is," she answered in a soft tone, though there was still a defensive undertone to it. "Baby, this hurts me more than you could ever know. It kills me to see you like this. You have to know that." She wasn't sure if it was because she thought now was as good of a time as any or because she herself couldn't stand to be any further from her sister, but Brooke didn't hesitate to climb up onto the bed with Haley, careful not to hurt her any further of course, and sat down beside her so they were shoulder to shoulder.

"I think I do," Haley answered, shifting slightly so she could rest her head on Brooke's shoulder comfortably. She wanted more than anything to remember their closeness, she knew that the support Brooke could give her would really help her deal with all the drama of tonight and worrying about tomorrow. "I mean, you make it pretty clear, so I've got to know that."

"I hope you do," Brooke sighed, resting her head on top of her sister's and grabbing her hand into her own. It was amazing how much better she felt just being close to Haley. "When Karen called, that's Luke's mom – nice lady, you like her – to tell me that dad was at the house, you have no idea how scared I was. I swear to God, my heart literally stopped for a second there. I've never been more scared in my entire life."

"I'm sorry…"

"And then when we got to the house and I saw Dan…" Brooke choked back a sob at the retelling of the story as she pictured the horrible scene that greeted her at her house, and all the emotions that had been running through her at the time. She brought her free hand up to cover her mouth before she completely broke down. Haley watched in astonishment at her extremely quick mood change. She wasn't sure if she should comfort her sister, or let her get it all out. "Dan's so big, you know? And he was just lying there, and if dad could do that to him, I didn't even want to think about what he could do to you, cause you're so tiny…"

"I'm okay," Haley reminded her. Seeing Brooke like this, it was almost unbearable. If she was this upset over just seeing her sister cry, she couldn't imagine what Brooke must feel seeing her like this. "Everything's okay."

"No, it's not okay," Brooke protested, pulling her head off of Haley's so she could look at her. "You're not okay, I'm not okay. I let this happen! I left you alone, when I knew it wasn't safe, but I did it anyway because you said it would be okay. But I knew, I had a feeling, that something bad was going to happen, but I ignored it!"

"Brooke…"

"Our father hunted you down and beat you to an inch of your life," Brooke continued to rant; ignoring anything that Haley was saying to try to calm her down. She was not going to calm down about this, no matter what she said. "He had a rifle pointed at your head. God, he even pulled the trigger and if Lucas hadn't gotten there when he did, you would have been splattered all over a tree in the forest by our cottage! That is not okay, Haley, it's not!"

"Okay, okay," Haley whispered, pulling her hands out from under Brooke's to rest on top of her's. She wished she could turn her head fully to get a better look at Brooke, but it hurt too much to even attempt, at least when Brooke was this close. It was hard enough with Nathan, but it was definitely worth it.

"I'm so sorry, baby," Brooke sobbed, her entire body collapsing against Haley as the cries rippled through her body. Haley bit her lips to stop the tears and in an attempt to ignore the pain that shot up her body as Brooke leaned against her ribs. She ignored it all though, and brought Brooke's shaking body into her arms. "I'm so sorry."

"This isn't your fault," Haley told her forcefully. Okay, so she wasn't completely clear on everything that happened or how it happened, but she was quite certain that it wasn't Brooke's fault. She tried to remember back to what Nathan was telling her, but she was realizing that she hadn't really been paying that much attention to what he was saying, if you know what she means. Something about a school dance… "What difference would it have made if you stayed home, huh? I'm sure you couldn't have fought him, he would have just hurt you, too."

"But at least I would have been with you," she whispered, the tears making it even harder for her to be heard. She had been keeping this in, and she felt horrible that she was unloading all of this on her wiped out and completely confused sister, but she just couldn't take it any longer, and she would never be able to be there completely for Haley if she was holding all of this in. "If you died, I would have too, and that's what I would want because honestly, baby, if you had died tonight … I have no idea what I would have done."

"You would have soldiered on," Haley laughed, hoping to lighten the mood. "I mean, I've only known you for about five minutes, but I can tell that you're a lot stronger than you give yourself credit for."

"Not without you," Brooke corrected her. She knew she was strong, or she tried to project the image that she was strong, but she was just like everyone else. She had a breaking point, and it was Haley. Nothing gets to her like Haley does. "You mean… you're everything. Without you, I don't know what …"

"Shhhh," Haley cooed, bringing Brooke's head closer to her and burying it in her shoulder. She could feel Brooke's wet tears on her skin through the paper-thin hospital gown and she could feel her sister shaking against her. "You don't have to worry about that. Not now, not ever."

"You promise?" If Haley had been in the right mind, she never would have promised such a thing, especially after what happened the last time she promised Brooke something. She said that she would be perfectly fine by herself for a couple of hours. That didn't turn out so good.

"I do," Haley whispered, leaning down and dropping a light kiss on Brooke's head. She could tell that this wasn't the way that things usually went with them. Brooke was usually the one that did the kissing, and the promising and the holding. Haley silently wondered if she had ever comforted Brooke like this, or if it had always been the other way around.

"Okay, okay!" came the loud voice from outside. For a split second, Haley felt Brooke tense up at the racket, but as soon as she realized who it was, she relaxed again, so Haley figured that she didn't need to be worried. "Get off of me, you jackass! That dickhead deserved it!"

"Brooke?" Haley questioned, looking down at Brooke in confusion, wonderingwho the loud girl was outside the door and why Brooke was giggling at her. Before Brooke had a chance to answer her, the door burst open and a blonde girl came stumbling in, and it was clear that she had been pushed.

"Jeez!" she yelled, holding the door open and to yell at the security guard that had pushed her inside. "You're a real prick, you know that!" Without another word, she promptly slammed the door and spun around on her feet to face her sisters. Her sour mood quickly changed when she saw her sisters. A bright smile broke out on her face, even though the sight of Haley made it hard to do so. "Ah, cuteness!"

"And you are?" Haley asked before Brooke could greet their sister. Brooke watched in amusement as Taylor's face wrinkled in confusion, trying to figure out why Haley didn't know who she was. Brooke couldn't help but noticed that just five minutes with Haley made her feel so much better.

"Taylor…" the blonde drew out in confusion, raising and eyebrow and looking to Brooke for an explanation. "What's with the name game? I'm your sister, remember?"

"No, actually," Haley giggled, finding it fun to play around with people. She needed to enjoy this time for as long as she can because she was already starting to feel the darkness creepy up on her. And with darkness came pain. "I'm a little tripped out right now."

"The doctor gave her some drugs," Brooke informed her, sitting up a little bit so she wasn't leaning completely on Haley, but was still cuddled up with her. She quickly tried to wipe away the tears, not wanting Taylor to say anything, and then carefully wrapped her arms back around her sister's hurt abdomen.

"Alright, Haley-bub, hittin' the hard stuff," Taylor cheered in her usual juvenile way. As much as Taylor drove Brooke crazy and as much as she wished she wasn't here for more than one reason, Brooke had to admit that her perky mood would definitely come in handy around here in the next few weeks. If she was sticking around for that long, that is. Taylor was never one to stay in one pace for too long, but she always managed to come home just in time for her stay at the James house. "It's about time. I knew that Virgin Mary, 'I'm so cute and innocent' thing was just an act."

"Yeah," Haley answered, unsure of the new girl. She stared at her strangely for a moment, shocked at the totally different attitudes of Brooke and Taylor. She turned to the brunette that had permanently attached herself to her side. "Is she adopted?"

"Unfortunately, no," Brooke laughed, smirking at the pout on Taylor's face. "I do have my doubts, but until we get a blood test, I guess she's considered a sister."

"You're a real laugh riot, Brookie," Taylor shot back, snarling in her general direction. "You must get your special skills in sarcasm from your mother."

"It'd be the first thing she ever gave me." Haley continued to watch the interaction between her sisters in amusement. She liked Taylor already. She wondered why no one had told her about the blonde before. Taylor seemed to catch the confused look on her face more than Brooke, because Brooke was probably used to did by now. Haley was considering writing 'Explain' on her forehead.

"Half sister," she immediately filled in. "I see you every two weeks. We're not as close as you and Brookie, I don't think semis twins that are attached at the head are as close as you and Brookie, but we get along. We're buds."

"I'll take your word for it." Haley could tell that she was telling the truth. She could totally imagine herself hanging around her big sister Taylor, looking up to her and wanting to be just like her when she grew up. Though, it didn't look like Taylor was the best role model, considering she was just being manhandled by some security guard, but it's just one of those big sister idolization things.

"Wanna join us, Tay?" Brooke finally asked. She could tell that Taylor has bee dying to get in on the action and she didn't feel like a being a bitch about sharing Haley. She always used to try to exclude Taylor when she came over, but Haley always insisted that she could hang out with them too. Brooke hated the idea of sharing Haley with anyone, but they were growing up, and by the way things seemed to be progressing with Haley and Nathan, it was looking like Brooke was going to have to learn. "It can be a Haley sandwich."

"That's my favorite kind, dude." With a wide smile on her face and a gleeful laugh, Taylor wasted no time hopping up onto the bed on the other side of Haley, and snuggling in with her little sisters. It meant a lot to her that Brooke was letting her in on this, she always Brooke resented her. Maybe things had changed over the past 2 years since she had last seen her, or maybe this whole experience just showed Brooke that there are a lot more people than just her that care a lot about Haley.

"What are you doing in here, anyway?" Brooke asked once Taylor was finally comfortable on the small bed. "I thought you couldn't deal with this."

"Well," she began, a guilty look on her face. "I was up visiting you know who and it seems that a certain little sister of mine blabbed to Carol about where I was, and she came in with about five security guards."

"She brought security guards?" Brooke asked, laughing at the visual that must have been. It wasn't too hard considering Taylor had been known to make her fair share of scenes and it defiantly wasn't the first time she had been manhandled by security. "She was alone when she came to get me up there."

"You went up, too?" Taylor didn't know why she was surprised, when it came to Haley, there was absolutely nothing that Brooke wouldn't do. But she didn't think had it in her to do something like that. Well, then again, she is the reason he's in the hospital after all. "Good for you."

"Ah, thanks," Brooke answered, unsure what she was supposed to say to that. Was her big sister honestly giving her a pat on the back for attempted murder? There family really was weird. "I think." She wondered if Haley had any idea what the hell they were talking about.

"No problem." Taylor waved it off, not really sure if she wanted Haley to know that both of her sisters had just risked going to jail for life just cause they were pissed off about what happened to her. Nah, she probably didn't want to know that. "Anyway, yeah, so Carol comes in with like 7 foot tall security guards, probably because she knows me and knew that I wouldn't go easily."

"Smart woman," Brooke commented.

"I know, right?" Taylor laughed, idly playing with Haley's hospital gown underneath her fingers and rolling her eyes at the retelling of her story. "They pulled me out, and I wasn't even doing anything!"

"But you were going to," Brooke pointed out.

"Of course I was!" Taylor exclaimed with another eye roll. "But I started screaming at Carol for bringing them, and then screaming at them for grabbing me, and I was dropping the F bomb left and right, and it was a whole big mess."

"Classy."

"Typical Taylor James, I know," she mumbled. A goofy smile was plastered on Haley's face the entire time the blonde was retelling her story. She wished more than anything that she could just remember things like that. She wished she could just remember all the good times she had with Brooke and Taylor, and Nathan. More than anything, she wanted to remember that stuff, and forget all the other stuff.

"I'm picturing it," Brooke informs them, as she starts to giggle. "And it's just so funny." Haley starts to giggle too and their heads collapse against each other's as they fall into fits of laughter.

"I'm glad I could amuse," Taylor told them dryly. "They said I had three options; leave, stay in the waiting room with everyone else, or stay in here." At first, she didn't want to come into the room, just the thought of seeing her baby sister like that was enough to scare her to death, but to know that the man she had looked up to since she was a baby was responsible for it was almost too much. "There was no way I was leaving, and your mother is in the waiting room, so…"

"Yeah, good choice," Brooke nodded, hating her mother herself, but also knowing how much bad blood there was between Taylor and Grace. They had never, and will never, not even under these kinds of circumstances, like each other.

"Plus," Taylor smirked. "My baby sisters were in here, so it was pretty much a no brainer." Haley smiled and leaned her head against Taylor's for a moment to show her that she appreciated the gesture and comment, but Brooke didn't. As much as she wanted to rejoice at the moment, it being one of the most perfect ones in the last two years, she couldn't because she knew that it wasn't going to last. She knew that tomorrow was going to be hell, and that Haley wasn't going to be okay. It didn't matter if she was there, or Taylor or even Nathan. Haley was going to be broken, and as much as she wished she could help her, she knew deep down that nothing she did was going to be able to fix this.

**--You can see only as far as your headlights, but you can make the whole trip that way --**

Two hours later, Brooke and Taylor were asleep. They had both wanted to stay up, but couldn't fight it any longer, and they were both knocked out a while ago. The three sisters were still all huddled up on the one tiny hospital bed, but none of them looked like were uncomfortable. Brooke was practically completely draped over Haley and Taylor's legs were thrown over Haley's and her head was on her little sister's shoulder.

Haley, however, was not asleep. She couldn't. No, no that wasn't true, because she was sooo tired. The truth was, she wouldn't go to sleep. She didn't want to. She was too damn afraid to. She knew that when she went to sleep, that was it. That was the last time she would feel like this. When she woke up, she would remember everything, and then everything would be bad again. And that terrified her.

She liked it like this. Yeah, it sucked that she didn't know much about her sisters, or even herself for that matter, but she liked not knowing anything about her father. And she certainly liked the idea of starting with a clean slate with Nathan. He was obviously really sensitive about this, and she thought that was sweet, but she didn't like the idea of having to wait so long for her to heal to be with him.

She knew from what everyone was telling her and the way Nathan had been acting around her, that she was going to push him away. She didn't want to, and she wished she could tell her whole self tomorrow that she shouldn't push him away, but she knew that she would.

"Knock, knock," came the deep voice at the door, breaking Haley out of her thoughts. Before she had a chance to say anything, a handsome head of jet black hair pocked inside, followed by a pair of beautiful green eyes. "Can I come in?"

"Please," she smiled at him, amazed that just being in his presence cheered her up so quickly. What exactly was up between them? He smiled softly at her, noticing that Brooke and Taylor were asleep and gently closed the door. "How is everything out there?"

"Quiet," was all he gave in way of an answer as he sat down in the chair he had been sitting in before. Things had gotten a little heated between Lucas and Grace when she came out before, but other than that, the incident with Taylor and Karen's arrival shortly after Taylor had been sucked into the room, things had been uneventful. "I see you must be feeling better."

"Oh, yeah." She blinked at looked down at her sisters all over her and smiled when she realized that she didn't feel any pain. It was obvious that with her injuries, she should be in some extreme pain right now with the way they were on top of her, but the medication that the nurse had given her an hour again was starting to kick in. Unfortunately, she couldn't get the nurse to give her another dose of the other medicine, the kind that would save her from the truth for another day. "I'm feeling pretty damn good right now. Got my girls, my meds and you. What else could I need."

"That's a good tone to be singing." He liked her like this, she was so open about how she felt, where as she was normally so closed off. He would get so close to breaking down the wall, but then she'd realize and put it back up so damn quickly. It seemed like the only person that she was completely herself with was Brooke. And as much as he wished she would be that way with him, he was just glad that she had someone to talk to about this. He couldn't imagine what she would do if she didn't have Brooke through all of this.

"I just hope I'm still singing it tomorrow," she smiled at him. He couldn't believe how much he had missed her smile. It hadn't been that long ago that he was at her house, flirting with her before the dance, but maybe it was because he had been so sure he'd never see it again.

"I hope so too." The little bit of hope that had risen up in him at seeing her smile was washed away at her words. He hoped beyond hope that what she said would be true, but he knew better than that. They sat in silence for a little bit, the only sound in the room was the shallow breathing of Taylor and Brooke.

"Hey, Nathan?" Haley finally spoke, turning her head slightly to look at him. It took Nathan a moment to realize that his name had been called. He blinked a couple of times and looked up at Haley.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think you could promise me something?" She couldn't believe that she was doing this, but she knew that it was the only way she could make it happen. She wasn't going to let what she and Nathan obviously had be screwed up because her father was a jackass.

"Anything," he vowed, looking up at her with lost puppy dog eyes. And she could tell that her was being serious. Just by the look in her eyes, she knew that he meant it, that she could ask him to do anything, and he'd do it.

"Don't let me push you away," she whispered. His eyebrows creased as he looked at her in confusion. She sighed. "You said that when I remembered everything tomorrow it would hurt, and I know you're right. I also know that I'm probably going to lash out at everyone. I'm going to want to be alone, I'll want you to leave me alone." She bit her lip as she gazed down at him. "But you need to promise me that you won't."

"Haley, I don't think…"

"Please, Nathan," she cut him off, her voice desperate. "I really, really like you. And I know that I liked you before, and that I'll like you after. You and me, I don't know what it is, but after talking to you for just five minutes, I could tell that we have a connection. It was the same with Brooke."

"What you and Brooke have…"

"I know it's not like that, but maybe one day it could be," she finished for him with a sad smile. "I don't know anything, Nathan, literally, but I think we could be great together. I know you like me too, so why can't you just promise me? Just promise that no matter how much I try to push you away, or what I say to you, just promise that you'll give me another chance. I'm gonna need a lot of time to deal with this, but it won't mean as much if I won't have you in the end." Nathan's eyes softened at her words and they almost melted his heart. That's what he's wanted to hear all week. Yeah, she might be drugged out and wouldn't know her father if he walked in right this minute, but she wasn't crazy. She meant what she was saying; he could see it in her eyes, behind all the fear and the pain. "Please?"

"Okay," he said simply. Without another word, he reached around Brooke's body and grabbed a hold of her hand, gently bringing it to his lips and kissing it, hoping it would erase the scares he could see there.

Haley had a long and bumpy road ahead of her, but if she knew she had Brooke and Nathan waiting for her at the end, maybe she could make it.

**--OTH--**

That's all. I hope you weren't disappointed after that long wait. Please reply to tell me what you think. Thanks.


	36. Can’t Watch You Break

_Author's Note_: Hey all. I'm back for a drive by update. I'm sorry that it's been so long, but I wasn't sure what I wanted to happen in this chapter. I'm still not very happy with how this chapter turned out, but I'm hoping that you guys will enjoy it anyway. And please don't throw things at me in your reviews. But please give me some.

**--OTH--**

**--Life isn't fair. It's just fairer than death, that's all. --**

"What the fu…" Taylor mumbled as she started to come to. The first thing that she noticed was the fact that she was extremely uncomfortable. There was something jammed into her back, a bar of some kind she would guess, her ass was half way off of the bed and there was someone underneath her. Okay, that last part wasn't so strange or new. She often woke up with other people.

But this didn't feel right. She didn't normally feel this emotionally drained in the morning, or this…sad. Not to mention the fact that she was pretty sure that she was fully clothed and she didn't feel the effects of a hangover, so she was pretty sure that this was not like every other morning.

She racked her brain for what happened last night. She was at home, getting ready to head out for a night of clubbing when the hospital called about her father. She came, talked to Brooke and went to 'visit' her father. Suddenly, the entire night, all the emotions, all the fear and all the pain, came crashing back to her.

She remembered seeing Haley all beat up, almost to the point where she was unrecognizable. She remembered all the rage that had bubbled up inside of her when she first saw Haley like that, all of the pure hatred she felt for a man she thought of as Superman for her entire life.

Her body was still draped over her little sisters, and she could feel the cast on Haley's arm digging into her stomach. She shifted a little, unconsciously realizing that she shouldn't be putting all of this weight on top of someone that was as hurt and broken as her little sister was.

She wanted to open her eyes, she knew that she'd have to, but she was afraid of what she would see when she did. She could remember that Haley looked bad, but she couldn't picture just what the damage was, and she really wanted to keep it that way. She didn't want to see Haley like that again, and as long as she kept her eyes closed, and just laid there with her two sisters, she could pretend that everything that happened the night before was all a nightmare.

Taking a deep breath, Taylor pushed herself up on the bed, careful not to fall off and slowly opened her eyes. The first thing she saw was a hot guy passed out in the chair beside the bed. She vaguely remembered seeing him in the waiting room when the security guards were manhandling her. She also noticed with a small smile, that he was holding Haley's hand. Isn't that sweet? Haley-bub's got a boyfriend.

Her eyes traveled to her little sisters, snuggled up together in their sleep. Even in Haley's fragile state, her body didn't seem to protest the comfort, and even though Taylor knew that probably wasn't good for her physical well being, it was crucial for her emotional one.

Taking a deep breath, and preparing herself for the worst, Taylor let her eyes travel over Haley's body, taking in all of her injuries. Feeling her stomach start to turn, Taylor immediately jumped off of the bed, needing to get as far away from Haley as she possibly could. Maybe last night she could handle it, in the heat of the moment, she was willing to overlook Haley's state and be there for her, but now? Now she didn't think she could stand to look at Haley without throwing up.

Standing there in complete silence, not sure what she should do, Taylor's eyes darted back and forth between Brooke and Haley. She knew this was even worse for Brooke, and she felt like a horrible sister knowing that Brooke was willing to swallow her own pain to help Haley through her's, but she didn't think she could.

Don't get her wrong, she loved Haley more than she thought she could, but seeing her like that, knowing that their father did that to her, it was all just too hard. And when things get hard for Taylor James, she runs.

Shaking her head, and sending her sleeping sister an apologetic look, Taylor hung her head and slowly walked over to the door. She stopped for a second at the door, looking back at her baby sisters one last time before pushing the door open and leaving the room.

"Oh, God," she breathed when she was finally out of the room. She suddenly felt like she could breath again. She didn't realize it then, but it felt like she had been suffocating in there. It was like she could just feel everyone's pain in the air, and it was crushing her.

"Taylor?" she heard someone's voice call her name softly. She opened her eyes, pushing herself off the door and made her way over to the waiting room, where she knew all her sister's friends were. When she entered, she was surprised that the only two people there were Carol, who had called her over, and a sleeping Grace.

"Hey," she greeted the blonde woman, her voice almost breaking, even with that single syllable. Knowing that she was going to break down at any moment, Carol immediately took the girl in her arms and held her as her strangled sobs racked her body.

Nobody else in the room seemed to pay them any attention. It was early in the morning, so there weren't many people there, but it being a hospital, they were pretty used to seeing people break down.

"Come here," Carol whispered, silently leading Taylor over towards the plastic chairs. Carol made sure to position herself between Taylor and Grace, as she sat them both down and tried her best to calm the distraught girl down.

Finally, after what felt like forever, Taylor's cries started to lesson and her shakes seem to become less. Not wanting to rush anything, Carol just continued to rub her back, letting her know that it was okay to cry, that it was okay to feel scared. When Taylor felt that she was all cried out, she pulled back, letting out a bitter laugh and wiped at her eyes.

"I'm sorry about that," she apologized, even though she knew that Carol didn't expect one. She had always liked Carol; she was a whole lot better than her father's other girlfriends, and certainly better than his ex-wife. She may not have ever needed it, but she knew that if she ever did need someone to talk to, Carol would have been there, willing to listen and give her some friendly advice. "It's just Haley-bub…"

"I know, sweetie," Carol assured her, smiling sadly at her, and patting her hand supportively. "No need to explain. I can't even imagine what this must be like for you. I know that you love your father…"

"I _loved_ my father," Taylor corrected coldly. She couldn't even stand the thought of the way she used to worship that man. "That evil bastard can rot in hell for all I care."

"I just meant," Carol started slowly, trying to think of a way to start this conversation without upsetting Taylor even more than she already had. "Seeing Haley like that must be hard enough, but knowing that your father, a man that you used to love more than anything, did that to her…"

"Could we not talk about this?" Taylor asked, her voice slightly annoyed and slightly begging. There was a reason she left Haley's room, it was because she didn't want to think about this, she couldn't think about this. Carol thought about pushing the subject, but finally thought better of it, and decided to drop it for now. Taylor gave her a grateful smile and looked around the room. "This place is pretty empty. Where did all the other people go?"

"They left a few hours ago," Carol told her. "The doctor came over and told them that it would probably be a better idea if just family stayed for the night. Their mother insisted on staying, and I figured that I should probably hang around too…"

"Good idea," Taylor agreed, glancing past Carol to glare at the woman that she had hated her whole life. As much as she hated to admit it, she felt a little bit sorry for the woman. Sure, she was bitch, and Taylor would be the first person to tell her that, but even Grace James couldn't be that unfeeling to not be completely torn apart by what had been happening to her own daughter for the past two years.

"They said that they'd be back in the morning," she continued, glancing at the clock on the wall. "Visiting hours start again at nine, so that's probably when they'll come back. They didn't want to go all the way home, so I gave them the keys to the house and they all stayed there for the night."

"That's good." Taylor was happy that there seemed to be so many people that cared about Haley. She wondered if this many people would be in the waiting room if she were in the hospital. Probably not. "I'm glad Haley's got people that care about her. She's defiantly going to need it."

"I was meaning to talk to you about that."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, um," Carol bit her lip, debating whether she should even ask Taylor this or not. It was such a huge responsibility, especially for someone of her age and her mentality. "There was something that I wanted to ask you about."

"What is it?" Taylor James was never one to beat around the bush and she hated it when other people tried to do it to her. Life was too short to worry about offending people, that's what she thought. And from what she remembered, she had passed that philosophy onto Brooke.

"You know I'm a lawyer, right?" Taylor nodded slowly, telling her that she still didn't get where she was going with this. "I'm going to be handling your sisters' case…"

"Their case?" Taylor repeated, incredulously. "Are you kidding me? What case? He beat the living shit out of her! He was going to shot her! That son of a bitch should already be locked up in jail!"

"Taylor," Carol warned her, trying to calm her down. She didn't want Grace to wake up for this conversation. "You know that things don't work like that. There will be some jackass out there that will be willing to represent your father, I'm sure, citing some mental disability as the cause of all of this…"

"That's bullshit!"

"I know," Carol quickly agreed, nodding her head. "But that's not what I'm worried about. Trust me when I say that your father is going to rot in jail, I will see to that."

"Than what case are you talking about?" Taylor asked quietly, not wanting to even think of the possibility of Jimmy walking away from this. Carol may have been able to stop her before, but if her father was let free from this, there wasn't enough security guards in the world to keep her from killing that bastard.

"Their custody case," Carol answered, watching Taylor's face to get her initial reaction to the word. Taylor's face remained calm as she thought about what that meant, before her eyes widened with realization.

"Oh!" she exclaimed, finally understanding what Carol was talking about, what she was asking her. "Whoa, I mean, wow. I don't know."

"Obviously you're father can't take care of Haley…" Taylor scoffed at her words, and rolled her eyes. "And from what I've gathered, their mother isn't going to be winning Mom of the Year anytime soon, so they're pretty much orphans at the moment."

"Can't they live alone or something?" Taylor asked, remembering all teens on TV that live away from their parents. "What's the word? Emancipated?"

"There's usually that option," Carol confirmed, but by the tired tone in her voice, Taylor could tell that it wasn't going to apply to this case. "But with everything that happened, and especially all the medical care that Haley's going to need for the next little while, I don't see any judge allowing it."

"What about you?" Taylor felt bad that she was fighting this so hard, but she just didn't think that she was ready to do this. She couldn't even wake up in the morning without a hangover. How was she supposed to raise her baby sisters? "Can't you take them?"

"I love Haley," Carol answered, her face softening as she thought about the girl that she had come to think of as a kind of surrogate daughter. "And I'm sure that Brooke is just as great as Haley's told me she is, but it wouldn't be the same. What they need right now is family, and you're all that's left, Taylor."

"But…"

"And like you said," Carol continued, sensing that Taylor was starting to break down. "There are a lot of people that care about Haley, and Brooke. But they're all in Tree Hill, not in Charleston. My life is here, my job, my family, but yours isn't. You can afford to move right now, I can't. Brooke and especially Haley need to be around people that love them, and I think that's in Tree Hill. And with you."

Taylor let her words sink in; custody of Brooke and Haley. She couldn't even imagine being a mom in 20 years, let alone in a couple of weeks, or however long this process would take. Don't get her wrong, she loved Brooke and Haley very much, and she had every intention in being there for Haley every step of the way, but she didn't know if she could just throw her entire life away to be their guardian.

"I don't know, Carol," Taylor sighed, hating herself for even debating this. If she was the sister that Brooke and Haley deserved, she should have jumped at the chance to be there for them when they needed her most.

"Just think about it, okay?" Carol asked, patting her on the knee and giving her a reassuring smile. "That's all I'm asking you do to." Taylor forced a smile in return and started to debate with herself whether she could handle this or not. Truthfully, she would love to live with both of her sisters full time. All throughout her childhood, she had wanted siblings, and even though she did have Brooke and Haley, it wasn't the same; she only saw them every two weeks.

She knew that Brooke never really liked her, but she just thought that maybe if she got to live there with them, she'd get used to her, start to like her. Each time that she went over there for the weekend, she had always secretly hoped that her father would suddenly ask her to move in with them, despite what Grace would say, and they could all be one big happy family.

Now that she thought about it, she still wanted that. She always thought she wanted that because she wanted to know that her father loved her, but even now, when he obviously wouldn't be part of that happy family, she still wanted it. It turns out that she just wanted sisters. Not just any sisters, her sisters.

**-- Most men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing happen. --**

"Oh, God," Brooke moaned as she felt the pain shooting through her body. She snapped her eyes shut, waiting for it to subside. After a few moments, the initial painful stage of waking up was complete and now it was time for her to open her eyes. Ignoring the blinding light that greeted her when she opened her eyes, Brooke yawned and shifted in her position so she wasn't completely on top of Haley.

She wasn't sure if she was happy that Haley wasn't awake yet or not. On one hand, she just wanted to get this over with. She was afraid of what Haley's reaction was going to be when she woke up and remembered everything, but she was also dreading seeing her face like that, and talking about it.

"Morning," she heard from behind her, breaking her from her thoughts. The voice scared her for a moment before she realized who it belonged to. She relaxed again and rolled her head to the side to get a good look at Nathan.

"When did you sneak in here?" she questioned, not remembering him being there when she feel asleep. He brought both his hands to his face and rubbed his tired eyes as he yawned.

"After you and your sister fell asleep," he answered and she nodded. "Just for my own peace of mind, you don't have any other hot sisters that you're hiding do you? Cause it seems like everytime I turn around there's another James girl popping out of nowhere."

"Just Haley and Taylor," Brooke assured him, rolling her eyes at him. She kind of forgot how much of her life she had kept hidden when she moved to Tree Hill. She knew that she purposely kept Haley hidden, and for good reason, but Taylor must have just slipped her mind. "Tay doesn't really count though, she's only a half sister. She didn't live with us."

"Okay, that's good to know," he teased, straightening up in his seat. "Was there a reason you were hiding them in the first place?" She knew that question was coming; she was actually surprised that it took him so long to ask her about it. The truth was, she didn't really have a good answer to that question. She never really intended to hide Haley or Taylor from her friends in Tree Hill; it just kind of never came up. Which was partly due to the fact that she made sure it never came up.

"I just didn't like to talk about it," Brooke answered with a shrug. That was really the only reason she had. She hated to think about Haley when she was away from her. For the past two years, everytime she thought about Haley, it just killed her to know that she couldn't be there for her sister. "It was hard enough for me to even think about her, you know? Knowing that there was nothing I could do…"

"Well, she's safe now, right?" He could understand where Brooke was coming from. Back when she first started hanging out with them, he could tell that she was distracted, but he and everyone else just chalked it up to her being homesick. "She's here with you, with us, and your dad's going away for a very long time."

"Yeah, but look where that's got her," Brooke pointed out, nodding her head towards her sisters broken body beneath her. "I left her alone, my dad kidnapped her and beat the living hell out of her, and now she's gonna be lying in a hospital bed for God knows how long…"

"We've talked about this, Brooke," Nathan sighed, showing her just how frustrated he was getting with her. "What happened to Haley wasn't your fault. She's the one that told you to leave. You had no way of knowing what would happen. And I know that's exactly what Haley is going to tell you when she wakes up."

"Yeah, I know," Brooke mumbled, absently playing with Haley's fingers as she thought back to their conversation/her break down last night. "That's what she told me last night, that it wasn't my fault, but I can't help but feel that way, you know? It doesn't matter how many times she or anyone else tells me otherwise, I'm always going to feel guilty about this."

"How do you think I feel?" Nathan hadn't talked about this with anyone, but he couldn't stop thinking about his own role in this whole night. Brooke tore her gaze away from Haley to give him a confused look. "If I hadn't have been a jackass and asked Chrissy out two seconds after Haley turned me down, she would have gone to the dance with me, and your father never would have gotten her."

"Your tricky reverse psychology stuff isn't going to work on me," Brooke warned him with a small smile, knowing exactly what he was trying to do. Yes, in her head she knew that what happened wasn't her fault, or anyone else's, but her heart wasn't as logical. "I get it, Nate, I do, but it doesn't matter. I'll just have to deal with it. What's done is done, right?

"As much as it sucks, yeah," he smiled, glad to see that Brooke was maybe going to drop this whole self-guilt trip thing. He hated to see her beat herself up like that. They shared a smile and let the comfortable silence fill the air.

Haley tried her best to keep her breathing steady, so they would continue to think that she was asleep. She didn't want to talk to them right now, talk to him right now. She could still feel her father's hands all over, his knuckles digging into her flesh, his fingers wandering to places Haley never wanted someone to touch ever again. She could still feel everything like it was still happening, and it took everything inside of her not to cry and hold onto Brooke for dear life.

She needed Brooke right now. She didn't need Carol, not Grace, not Taylor and certainly not Nathan. All she needed, the only person that could be there for her right now was Brooke. She was the only person she trusted. Just the thought of being around anyone else right now, made her want to curl up in a ball. It felt like the walls were slowly starting to cave in on her.

She felt bad that she was thinking this, feeling this way, but she couldn't help it. She'd only known Nathan for a week. What had she been thinking when she told him all that stuff before, all those personal things that she had been too afraid to tell Brooke? She thought she could trust him then, he seemed like a really nice guy, but her dad seemed like a really nice guy to strangers. And her father was definitely not a nice guy.

How could she possible trust Nathan? Not only with her body, but her heart as well. She couldn't. She learned a lot of things last night, and that was one of them. She was never safe, only when she was with Brooke. She knew that Brooke would always keep her safe. She knew Brooke would risk her life to protect her, but could she say the say for Nathan? That she didn't know.

"Look, Nate," Brooke started, finally finding the courage to speak. She wanted to say this so bad, but she was so afraid of hurting Nathan's feelings. After what she had said to him last night about his feelings for Haley, she didn't want him to get the wrong impression of what she was trying to say. "Um, there's something I wanted to ask you."

"Yeah?" He leaned forward, giving her his full attention. She could tell by his actions that he was totally there for her, anything that she needed, and that just made her feel guiltier. "Anything you need, I'm here for you guys."

"That's, uh, actually, what this is about," she began, avoiding eye contact. She couldn't bare to look him in the eyes as she said this to him. She knew this was going to hurt him, but that wasn't going to change her mind.

"Brooke?" he asked, trying to get her to look at him. "What's going on?"

"I think, maybe," she tried. Taking a deep breath, she decided to just get this over with. "I just think that it would be best, for Haley, if maybe you didn't come around too much. You know, just while she's in here, I don't think it would be good if you hung around. I'm not saying that you guys are…"

"It's okay, Brooke," he cut her off, placing his hand over her's to get her attention. She immediately stopped her rant and looked over at him with surprised eyes. Was he agreeing to this? She couldn't believe it. "I know what you're saying."

"You do?"

"Yeah," he laughed, shaking his head at the sheer surprise in her voice. "I know this may come as a shock to you, but I'm not so completely blinded by my, uh, what did you call it last night? Oh, right, infatuation." Brooke grimaced, remembering that conversation as not one of her finer moments. She would be the first to admit that she had been a bitch, but she had a more than understandable excuse. "I'm not so completely blinded by my 'infatuation' with your sister that I don't understand what's going on."

"I wasn't trying to imply that."

"I know you weren't," he smiled gently at her. "I'm just saying, I get what's going on, what Haley's going to be going through. Sometimes it doesn't feel like it, but I did just meet her a week ago. I know that what happened is a huge deal, and that Haley is going to be just beside herself with grief, and I also know that you're gonna be the only one that can help her."

"You think?" She didn't know why, but for some reason she wasn't sure if Haley was going to be as welcoming to her as she was before. She could just picture Haley pushing her away, getting distant. She prayed to God that wasn't going to happen. She didn't know what she would do if Haley refused to let her help her through this.

"I know," he stated, squeezing her hand. "I've heard the way she talks about you, I know that she loves you very much, and she knows that you love her just as much." Brooke's eyes wandered to her lap, afraid that she might start crying if she looked at him while he spoke. "I also know that you're gonna be the only one that can help her for a while, until she's better."

"Thank you, Nathan," she whispered, sending him a watery smile. So much for not crying. "For understanding. I'm not trying to come between you guys or anything. I just think that it would be best if Haley weren't surrounded by a lot of people right now, people that she really did just meet. It should just be friends and family."

"Like I said, it's cool," he repeated. "I'm not gonna lie, I wish that I could be there for her for the next little bit, but when it comes down to it, all I really want is for her to get better. And if you think that'll be easier without everyone around, without me around, then I'm all for it."

"I hope you're not mad." She felt horrible about this; she could see the pain on his face. She knew that Nathan really cared for Haley, more than most people did, but in Haley's fragile state, she knew it was best if she was only around familiar things, and Nathan was right, they had only known each other a week.

"Mad? No," he assured her, flashing her his trademark smirk. Truth was, he wasn't mad at all. He was kind of relieved actually. As much as he wanted to be there for Haley, he didn't know if he would have been able to hold himself together for long. He couldn't imagine seeing her so broken. It would just be too hard. "Just make sure that you let her know that I'm worried about her and that I'm thinking about her."

"I will," she promised, watching him stand up.

"And make sure that she knows I care about her," he continued. He bent down and reached over Brooke, pressing his lips against Haley's forehead softly before standing back up. Haley's entire body froze at the touch, but she made sure that she didn't react. "And that I'll be waiting for her."

"You got it." He bent down and she gave him a kiss on the cheek, conveying just how thankful she was for him. He squeezed her hand once more before letting it go and moving towards the door. When he reached it, he turned back for once last look at the girls, before giving them a small wave and pushing the door open, leaving the alone.

As soon as he was out of the room, Brooke let out a huge breath she didn't know she had been holding. She slumped her shoulders and leaned back against the bed. She didn't have to be strong anymore, there was nobody there watching her to make sure she didn't break. She could cry now.

"You hear that, baby?" she whispered, leaning her head against her supposedly asleep sister's, smoothing her hair down and pressing a gentle kiss on her temple. "We're not alone. You got someone else who loves you, too."

Haley closed her eyes tighter, fighting back the tears that threatened to escape at her sister's words. And trying to ignore the lingering tingle that remained on her forehead in the spot Nathan's lips had just been. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and sniffled back the tears.

"Yeah," she whispered, just loud enough for Brooke to hear her. "I know he does."

**--OTH--**

That's all. I know that you guys are mad at me, but I promise it won't be bad. I'm probably only going to do one chapter on Haley's hospital stay, and then move forward to when she gets released. I promise that Nathan and Haley will still be interacting. I'm just going with the facts that I know about people that have been abused, and in most cases, the victim refuses to interact with anyone that isn't family.

Anyway, please review to tell me what you think. I'm hoping you guys aren't losing interest in this fic, because I'm still enjoying writing it.


	37. We Could Fall Apart

_Author's Note_: Hey all. Long time, no see. Anyway, I have returned with a brand spanking new chapter. I'm not very happy with this, but I really wanted to get this out there because it's been so long. Like I said before, this will be the only chapter that takes place in the hospital. There isn't any Naley in, and I'm sorry about that, but I needed to get some time to the other upcoming storylines, you know. Hope you understand. Please tell me what you think, you guys don't understand how much I love the reviews. Enjoy.

As usual, I was much too tired to proof read this, so if there are any mistakes, please just ignore them. Thanks.

**--OTH--**

**-- Between sisters, often, the child's cry never dies down. "Never leave me," it says; "do not abandon me." --**

Haley's eyes wander the ceiling, silently counting the tiles for what felt like, and could quite actually be, the hundredth time. It wasn't like there was anything else for her to do. She frowned when she felt her side starting to seize up and tried to position herself into a better position. Not a good idea.

"Shit," she hissed under her breath when she felt every cut on her back scream at her for moving. She snapped her eyes shut and waited for all of the pain to subside. She still couldn't believe that her back was still littered with cuts; she thought that would be healed by now. Stupid ass doctor doesn't know what the hell he's talking about.

After a moment, the burning sensation started slowing, and she let out a sigh and opened her eyes again. She tried to remember where she had left off on the ceiling and grumbled when she couldn't recall. Rolling her eyes, she started again.

"Haley Bear," she heard the annoying voice call from the doorway. Letting out inaudible groan, Haley clenched her teeth and balled up her fists as best she could. "I thought you'd be in here."

"It's my first day of physical therapy, Brooke" Haley reminded her sister in a frustrated tone. She loved Brooke, she did, and she also knew that Brooke was just trying to be there for her, but for some reason, Brooke was getting on her last nerve lately, and she didn't know why. "Where else would I be?"

"When you weren't in your room I thought you might have escaped," Brooke teased her fakely, hoping to get more out of her than her usual monotone answer. She knew that Haley was upset and trying to block out the world, and more specifically her, at the moment, but that didn't mean that Brooke was just going to let her.

"I'm confined to a wheelchair, Tigger," Haley answered her, curing herself silently for using the endearment. She almost snarled when she saw the smile come to her sister's face at the name. "How exactly do you expect me to escape?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, not too worried about it. She plopped herself down onto the blue mat beside her sister and stared down at Haley as she lay their on her back, completely ignoring her now and counting the tiles again. Rolling her eyes at the snub, Brooke spun around on her butt so she was facing the same direction as Haley and lay down so she was parallel to her sister. "You'd find a way, you always do."

"Like I did last week?" Haley asked bitterly, but regretted it the moment it was out of her mouth. She hadn't wanted to talk about what happened with her father with anyone, not even Brooke, and up until now, she hadn't really mentioned it.

"Baby," Brooke tried, blindly reaching over and grabbing a gentle hold on Haley's uncased hand. She was surprised when Haley didn't flinch and pull it away like she had done every other time Brooke attempted to make contact with her. That was the most she was going to get though, because it didn't look like Haley was going to talk.

"This is stupid," Haley exclaimed in a bored tone, but she didn't break their linked hands or her gaze at the tiles. After giving Brooke a moment to get over the rapid subject change, Haley rolled her head to the side to look at Brooke. "When's this Greg guy getting here?"

"I don't know," Brooke sighed, frustrated with Haley's refusal to talk about what happened. The morning that Haley woke up, she had been trying to prepare herself for Haley's initial reaction. She had expected Haley to cry, to wail, to scream, and break, but instead she just sat there silently for most of the day, letting the doctors do what they needed and telling the police officers everything that she remembered from the night before. Brooke couldn't believe how calm Haley was trying to be about everything.

"I don't even know why I have to be here," she continued to complain. She really wished that she could walk because she was so sick of lying there. The nurse had brought her in about half an hour ago while Brooke went home to shower and change, something she did every other day. As much as the doctors, Lucas and even Haley had begged her to just go home and sleep, she refused to leave the hospital until Haley was ready to go home.

"Because if you ever want to get out of that wheelchair," Brooke began. "You're gonna have to start getting that knee fixed." To make her point, she nudged Haley's knee lightly with her own, but made sure it didn't hurt her. If Haley was going to pretend that everything was okay, she could do.

"I like my wheelchair," Haley pouted, glad that Brooke seemed to be dropping the subject. It was moment like this, just lying there with her sister, when she wasn't grilling her on how she's feeling, that Haley enjoyed. It was moments like that that made Haley feel a little bit more confident that things might just turn out okay. "You can push me around in it for the rest of my life. I don't see the downside there."

"You're ass is already fat enough," Brooke teased in a light tone, which got a slight laugh from Haley for which she was grateful for. "The last thing you need is to be pushed around from now on."

"It could be cool," Haley mused, trying to think of what live would be like being pushed around all the time. It didn't seem so bad. Then again, she was almost positive that she would get sick of it soon enough. She was never one to let others do things for her, she liked to be in control of situations. "I'd be stuck with you for the rest of my life."

"Is that a pro or a con?" Haley thought about it for a moment. Was Brooke really that bad? Well, no of course she wasn't. Brooke had been there for Haley for her entire life. Yes, she was grating on her last nerve at the moment, but Haley knew that was more her deal, than Brooke's. She turned her head to look at Brooke for a moment and squeezed her hand lightly.

"It's a pro," she told her with the smallest of smiles. It may have been a small gesture, but Brooke was more than willing to take it. Haley had been pushing her further and further away since they'd been there, and she didn't know how much more she could take before she snapped. If Haley was willing to give her that little bit of hope that maybe they could go back to normal one day, she would take it.

The moment was short lived however, when the two heard a loud bang from the door. Brooke felt Haley tense beside her, probably fearing that it was their father, who was still at the hospital until he recovers fully enough to be arrested. She squeezed Haley's hand in reassurance, and pushed herself up and into a sitting position. Even though she knew it couldn't possibly be her father, she still felt the relief wash over her when she saw it wasn't.

"Uh, hey," she greeted nervously, looking the extremely cute guy up and down. She wasn't sure if he was the physical therapist or someone else here for work. He flashed her a bright smile and dropped his gym bag on the floor by the door.

"Hey, girls," he greeted in an overly happy tone and a blinding smile. Brooke closed her eyes for a brief second, imagining how annoying this guy was going to be for the next couple of weeks. Haley wasn't going to enjoy him in the least, at least not with her current sour mood. "I'm Greg."

"Finally," Haley moaned, not looking his way. She was still on her back, staring at the ceiling, but she could swear that she could see his smile and it was already pissing her off. She was in a bad mood, had been for the past week, the last thing she needed was for Brooke to have a partner in her fake happy teasing. "It's about damn time."

"You must be Haley," he observed with another smile. Haley rolled her eyes, even though he couldn't see her, and nudged Brooke with her elbow. Without a word between them, Brooke reached over and helped Haley into a sitting position so she could see the new annoyance. Haley was surprised that he was so good looking. Maybe he wasn't that annoying.

"I'm the black and blue one," she answered, flashing him a tight smile. "So, yep, that's me."

"Okay, That's So Raven," Brooke teased her, grinning bigger when Haley sent a death glare her way. She winked at Haley, trying to defuse the situation, and turned her attention back to Greg. "Yeah, she's the patient."

"And you are?" He took off his jacket, dropped it on top of his bag and moved towards the girls. He kneeled down so he was at eye level with them and not looming over them.

"Oh, I'm Brooke," she answered, not believing that she had forgotten to introduce herself to him. She stuck out her hand and he gladly shook it. "I'm Haley's sister…"

"Yes, I heard all about you from the nurses," he informed her, tilting his head to the side as if to examine her. They weren't what he had expected, they were a lot smaller and prettier than he had pictured. "You've been giving them a hard time."

"I try," she replied with a firm nod of her head. All week she had been on top of everything, always making sure that Haley was getting the best care possible and that they were doing everything they could to make her comfortable. "Only the best for my Hales."

"Can we just start this thing now?" Haley snipped in an impatient voice. Yes, he was cute, yes he was nice, but Brooke was taken and she wasn't interested, so there was really no point in sitting there and flirting with each other. "I'd like to be able to know how to walk again by the time it's time to graduate from college."

"I thought you wanted me to push you around in a wheelchair for the rest of your life," Brooke teased. Greg might be taken aback by her attitude, but Brooke was more than used to it, and she knew better than anyone that it was just an act. When Haley was really bad about something, she liked to close herself off from people, she wouldn't talk to them, she would look at them, sometimes not even Brooke could get through, but she had her moments, and Brooke made sure to act on them. If she was ever going to get through to Haley, to break through that huge wall that she had put up, she wouldn't be able to break her.

"I forgot how annoying you are," Haley answered back immediately, not looking Brooke in the face. She heard Brooke chuckle lightly beside her and she glanced up to see if she had offended Greg by her interruption. He still had that silly ass smile on his face and Haley wanted more than anything to smack it off his face.

What the hell was he always smiling for? She hated people that smiled all the time. She never used to hate them; hell she used to be one of those people, her and Brooke both. Now, it almost physically hurt for her to smile. She didn't know about Brooke, but after everything that she lived through the last couple of years, she couldn't imagine what so many people had to smile about. With all the crap that went on in the world, all the kids that went through what she went through, how dare people smile?

Haley was about to call him on it, when she stopped to think. She took a moment to look into his eyes, and she could see that his smile didn't exactly reach them. Yes, he was happy, it was hard to fake a smile that big, but there was also something about him, maybe a bad home life, or a terrible accident, a lost dream, she didn't know, but there was this sadness in them that she couldn't quite place.

She got the feeling that he wasn't hiding behind his smile, he wasn't just putting it on for show, it was natural. It wasn't like when she smiled, she smiled to mask her pain, to convince Brooke and Nathan and Carol and Taylor and anyone who asked that she was okay. No, he really was okay. Even though there was obviously something wrong in his life, he still somehow managed to smile.

And that both gave her hope and pissed her off.

"Well," he clapped, breaking his eye contact with Haley. He could see that she was trying to figure him out, and he didn't think it would hurt to let her. Haley immediately looked away when he spoke and Brooke watched them in confusion, trying to figure out what had just happened. Greg sent Brooke a reassuring smile and winked at her, before pushing himself up and into a standing position. "Everyone ready?"

"Yeah," Haley mumbled, shrugging her shoulders and looking at Brooke to tell her what she should be doing.

"Oh, this is exciting," Brooke cheered, wrapping her arms around Haley and giving her shoulders a squeeze. "It's your first session, baby! Isn't this exciting?"

"Yeah," Haley mumbled, rolling her eyes, and trying to push Brooke off of her side. "Real exciting." Brooke chuckled again, shaking her head and looked up at Greg.

"She's excited," she told him with a knowing smile. She didn't know what to do. Haley was trying to push her away, to act like everything was no big deal, like it didn't bother her, but Brooke didn't buy it for a second, no one could. She honestly didn't know what was worse; Haley shutting down like this, pretending that nothing was wrong or Haley breaking down and sobbing about what had happened. Either way, Brooke was at a lose. "So, do I stay? Go? Will she need any help or anything?"

"You can stay and watch if you want," he answered, moving towards the front of the room to get everything set up. "There isn't anything you can do really, besides be there for moral support and what not." He grabbed a couple of mats off the wall and dropped them to the floor so they could sit on them. He knelt down to set them up, glancing over at the girls where they sat. "It's up to Haley, I guess."

"What do you say, baby?" Brooke asked, leaning away from her sister for her answer. She wasn't sure what the answer was going to be. She had a feeling that Haley really did want her there, deep down, but she doubted that her sister was going to admit it. "Do you want me to stick around?"

"Not really," she answered in a small voice. She was torn. Of course she wanted Brooke there. There wasn't a part of her that wasn't terrified at the thought of being left alone in a room with some guy that she didn't know for an hour, but on the other hand, she didn't want to look weak in front of Brooke. She knew that Brooke probably wanted to stay, but Haley was afraid of what she would think. Brooke was already so damn overprotective of her, when she saw just how immobile she was, how useless and handicapped she had become, she was afraid of what Brooke would think of her.

"You sure?" She should have known. A part of her wanted to stick around anyway, but she decided it would be best to just listen to her sister. It killed her to leave her alone, she really did want to be by her side every minute of every day, but if Haley wanted her to leave, then she would.

"Yeah," Haley nodded, smiling slightly at Brooke. She was surprised that Brooke was giving in so easily to this. She had expected an argument; she had expected Brooke to demand that she stay, no matter what the hell she had to say about it. But Brooke following her wishes? That was new. "Just wait outside or something. I'll be fine."

"Okay," Brooke relented, giving Haley's shoulders another squeeze and dropping a quick kiss on her temple. It took everything in Haley not to breakdown and cling to Brooke at moments like this, moments when Brooke was just too good to her. She felt so bad that she was pushing Brooke away, but she couldn't help. She couldn't face what had happened, she just couldn't. If she thought about it, that was it, she was gone. She couldn't think about her father, she wouldn't. "I'll be around. I'll be back here in an hour to get you, kay?"

"Okay," Haley whispered, not trusting her voice. Brooke let out a sigh, losing all hope that she was going to be able to get through to Haley right now.

"I love you, baby." Dropping one more kiss on the top of Haley's head, she stood up and with a small wave in Greg's direction, she moved towards the door. Haley watched her leave, instantly regretting her choice the moment the door closed.

What had she been thinking? Letting Brooke leave her alone with the smile clown? She must have had a moment of temporary insanity to let Brooke go like that. She could feel the walls closing in on her and she could feel her father's hands all over her; crushing her throat, twisting her arm, grabbing her breast.

She tried desperately to shake the feelings, to remind herself that her father wasn't there, that it was over. Her father was lying in a hospital bed with armed policemen guarding his door. She was safe, from him at least. But what about everyone else? What about the doctors that can come into her room at anytime a day and do anything to her because they say it's procedure? What about Greg, who she was currently alone in a room with? What's to stop him from grabbing her and having his way with her? Brooke certainly wasn't there to protect her.

"Haley?" Greg's questioning voice broke through her thoughts, causing her to jump in surprise. She gulped, swallowing past the lump in her throat and turned to look in his direction, afraid of what she might see. He was kneeling on a mat, with different things all around him, and he had that smile on his face. "Are you okay?"

She most certainly was not.

**-- The theme of satsangh: that there is Salvation in numbers.--**

The moment Brooke was out of the room, Brooke let out a breath that she didn't know she was holding and rested against the wall, trying to calm herself. She couldn't believe that she had actually left Haley alone like that, no matter what Haley had told her. Haley wasn't ready to be left alone with a stranger, especially a make stranger.

Could she be any more stupid? Haley didn't know it, but Brooke say how she tensed up the minute someone walked into her room, she tried to play it off, but it was so obvious that she was uncomfortable around those people. Even when Carol would stop by, Haley changed into a different mind frame.

She acted different around other people, no matter who they were, than the way she acted when she was alone with Brooke. When there were other people in the room, Haley had a smile on her face, nothing too big, but it was there. Brooke wasn't sure why, maybe it was a defensive kind of thing, something to protect her from their questions, but it was there.

With Brooke, she was blank. She didn't fake anything, she didn't smile or laugh, she hardly even talked, only when she was talked to. She didn't cry or anything, but she didn't smile, she was just blank, void almost. There were moments, little ones when Brooke could see the earth shattering pain in her eyes, when she would mention what happened, but those moments left as fast as they came.

Brooke wasn't sure if it was a good sign that Haley was like that with her, or if it would be better for her if Haley tried to feed her fake smiles. She guessed it was good that Haley felt she could be herself around Brooke, that she didn't have to fake like she was okay, but Brooke could clearly see that she was still hiding the way she really felt.

Her whole robotic thing was just an act. There was no way that Haley was really that unresponsive, that she didn't want to break down and cry all the time, so it seemed that Haley obviously wasn't that comfortable around her, she was just more comfortable around her than anyone else. But Brooke took some comfort in the knowledge that when Haley finally did break down, she would be right there with her.

Letting out another breath and running a shaky hand through her hair, Brooke had to fight every bone in her body to go sit in a chair instead of going back into that room. Haley wanted to do this alone; she was going to let her. Pushing herself off the wall, she shuffled her feet over to the hard chair a few feet away and plopped herself down in it.

The hallway was almost completely empty at 8 in the morning, so she wouldn't feel weird if she ended up in tears. Closing her eyes to try to stop them, she leaned forward, putting all her weight on her knees and she buried her face in her hands, trying to remember how all of this happened, and hoping to find a why to fix it.

"You okay?" came a voice from her right. She didn't need to look up to know that it was Taylor and she didn't need to say anything to know that Taylor was going to sit down next to her whether she got an invitation or not.

"I'm fine," she sighed, staying in her position a moment longer before pushing off her knees and leaning back against the chair. She didn't look at her sister though, she just continued to stare straight ahead. After a moment, she glanced sideways at Taylor, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"You don't look fine," Taylor pointed out, hoping that she wouldn't get Brooke mad at her already. That was the last thing that she needed.

"Well, I am," Brooke snapped, tired of the blonde already. She knew that she was never going to be able to tolerate her sister. She was willing to try, but she doubted she was going to be successful.

"Geez, sorry," Taylor mumbled, holding her hands up in defense. "Take a pill."

"What are you doing here, anyway?" Brooke asked, trying to chance the subject. The last thing she wanted to talk about was how she was doing because she was doing horrible. She honestly didn't know how much longer she was going to be able to hold herself together. She could feel herself breaking and being shut out by Haley was slowing starting to kill her.

"I was looking for you actually," Taylor relieved, dropping her purse to the floor in front of her. She had been trying to come all week, but she just couldn't bring herself to do it. She had stayed for the whole day after Haley woke up, but she had never gone in to see her. She just couldn't do it. Finally, after being pushed by Carol for a week, she decided to just bite the bullet and go. "I went up to Haley's room, but the nurse said that you guys were down here."

"Hales has to do some therapy for her knee," Brooke explained, not knowing what else to say. She had been wondering where their oldest sister had been for the past week, but she wasn't going to hold it against her. The only person that had actually stopped by was Carol, but Haley didn't want to see her. The only people other than Brooke that she was up to seeing were the hospital staff, and that was only because she had to. She just wasn't ready to look weak in front of other people, the people that mattered. People like Nathan. "Try to get it stronger, you know? So when it's healed, she might be strong enough for crutches instead of that damn wheelchair."

"Aw, she's in a wheelchair?" Taylor asked, wincing internally at the picture of her little sister being wheel around in one of those damn things. She must look so small and tiny, and helpless. "Did you let her pop a wheelie?"

"Believe me, she tried," Brooke retold, smile at the goofy memory. The first day the doctor took her off her IV, he let Brooke take her out of the room, give her some new scenery. Of course, knowing Haley, Brooke knew that that was going to be the first thing that Haley asked. "But of course I sad no."

"You were always a party pooper," Taylor teased, knowing that statement couldn't be further from the truth. Out of the two of them, it was pretty safe to say that Brooke was usually the one trying to get Haley to do crazier things. Brooke tried her best to smile at her, thankful for the effort at least.

"So, what are you here for again?" Brooke inquired, remembering her question that Taylor had tried to dodge. She shifted in her seat, so she was in a better position to listen to whatever the blonde had to say. Taylor looked at her in confusion for a moment, trying to catch up with the quick subject change. "You said you were looking for us…"

"Oh, right," Taylor nodded, rolling her eyes at her own stupidity. She took a deep breath and tried to remember what she had practiced for this moment. She really wasn't sure what Brooke's reaction was going to be. "Okay, Brookie, there's something I really need to talk to you about."

"Oh, man," Brooke sighed, running an exhausted hand through her hair. She could already feel her muscles tighten in her stomach. "I'm really starting to hate sentences like that. It's never anything good." Bringing her shaky hands down to her lap, she clenched them and tried to slow her mind down. "What happened now?"

"No, no, it's not that," Taylor assured her. She should have thought that through a bit more. Of course Brooke was going to jump to the wrong conclusions. After everything that had happened over the past couple of weeks, Taylor certainly couldn't blame her. "It's nothing bad, really. Well, depending on how you look at it, I guess. I'm kinda hoping you don't see it as bad…"

"Tay, would you just spit it out," Brooke snapped, hoping to hurry this conversation up a little bit. The last thing she needed was for Taylor to drag it out with her meaningless babble. "I swear, you're worse than Haley sometimes."

"I am not!" she immediately defended. She was about to start going off on a rant about how she doesn't rant, when she saw the look Brooke was giving her. Right, she was supposed to be telling her the great news. "Okay, last week, you know, that night we all fell asleep in Hay's bed?" Brooke nodded, of course she remembered. "Anyway, when I woke up, I went out and was talking to Carol in the waiting room. She told me, well asked me, something pretty big and after thinking about it all week at Dad's house, I figured I should probably ask what you think about the whole thing."

"Then just ask me please, before I die from the suspense," Brooke begged her dryly. She really hated when people did things like this. If there was something bad that she needed to know, she would much rather just know it and start trying to deal with it right away. She didn't need someone to hold her hand through it. She made it through everything else on her own, why stop now?

"So it turns out," Taylor immediately started, not wanting to receive the wrath of Brooke at the moment, that was the last thing she needed. "Carol doesn't thing that either dad or your mom are suitable enough parents to have custody or you."

"Well," Brooke mused, acting as if this new information was a surprise. "Haley and me could have told you that years ago. Where are you going with this?"

"She suggested that I fight for custody of you guys. She said she'd help me find a nice apartment or something in Tree Hill and I could have you and Hay move in with me," Taylor answered in a rush, just wanting to get it over with and have Brooke laugh in her face.

"Whoa," Brooke breathed, taking in all the information. After it registered, she blinked a few times in surprised and let out a puff of air. "That's a lot to think about."

"I know," Taylor assured her, not wanting to overwhelm the already smothered girl. "At first I didn't think it was a good idea at all, but after thinking about it all week, I realized how awesome it could be. I know you're not my biggest fan, and you'll probably think I'm crazy for saying it, but I really do love you and Hay, more than anything, and I would love to be able to see you two brats everyday."

"That is, wow," Brooke breathed. Living with Taylor? She wasn't sure that was the best idea, but really, it seemed like the only one. Besides, Taylor wasn't that bad, really. "Not only living with Haley again, but all three of us living together, on our own. In Tree Hill."

"I want to do this, Brookie," Taylor told her softly, getting Brooke's attention and bringing her gaze back to her. "I know that I haven't always been there for you guys in the past, which is really the understatement of the century, but I really want to do this for you two. I think it's safe to say that this family is completely screwed up, but the one thing that's never been screwed up is you, Haley and I. The three of us were a family before and I want us to be a family again."

"I want that too," Brooke whispered, not knowing what to say to Taylor's words. Yes, she knew that her big sister could have her moments, but that was something really sweet coming from Taylor. All that she's wanted for the past two years was to be with Haley and be a family again. Despite herself, she let out a small laugh. "God, you have no idea how much I want that too."

"Then, that's a yes?" Taylor asked, barely able to contain her excitement. The more she thought about living with her two baby sisters for the past week, the more she fell in love with the idea. Nothing would make her happier. Brooke gave her a watery smile, not being able to find words, and nodded. Taylor let out a squeal of excitement and pulling Brooke into a bone crushing hug. "Dude, this is going to be awesome!" Brooke laughed and pulled back from the hug.

"The yes is from me," Brooke reminded her. "You still have to ask Haley."

"Please, like she'll say no," Taylor scoffed, pushing it aside with a wave of her hand. "If you'll be there, she will be, too. She might come reluctantly, but she'll come, none the less."

"She will, will she?" Brooke chuckled, finding it kind of cute that Taylor is so sure of herself. Taylor nodded and smiled widely at her, giving her a wink.

"Wow, I can't believe this," Taylor sighed; letting the good feelings wash over her for a second before it disappeared. Did you ever think all those years ago when we would get into screaming matches that we'd end up here?"

Brooke felt all the excitement leave her body at the question. She looked around the hospital hallway, noticing her sister's wheelchair sitting against the wall across from her. She thought about the conversation she had just had with Haley, she thought about the way Haley lying bruised and beaten in her hospital, the way she felt everything in her entire body seize up when she saw Haley lying lifelessly on the grass. She remembered all the hysterical phone calls that she got in the middle of the night for the past two years.

"No," she whispered, her eyes glued to her lap, as she nervously played with the hospital bracelet she wore that indicated that she was just a visitor. Choking back a sob, she glanced back over at her big sister, who was looking at her with sad eyes. "I never thought we'd up here."

**--OTH--**

I had planned on having a Nathan scene at the end, but it was already long enough, and I just couldn't write anymore, so I hope you will all forgive me. I promise to have lots of Nathan in the next chapter, and maybe even some Naley interaction, if you guys are good.

Review, review, review!


	38. I’m Not the Desperate Type

_Author's Note:_ Sorry it's been so long, but I'm back and this is just for you **Krisin!** Have fun at college. Okay, so this ended up in a completely different place then I planned it to, so I'm sorry if it isn't very good. As always, feedback is appricated and I wanted to thank you all for the great reviews you've given me. Anyway, here's the update.

**---OTH---**

**-- Faith is the bird that feels the light when the dawn is still dark.--**

Haley sighed for about the tenth time in the last five as she absently flipped through the magazine that Brooke had brought up for her. She couldn't stand to look at the TV any longer, and there was no reception in her room, so reading was pretty much the only thing that she could tolerate at the moment.

At first, she had tried to read actual books. Brooke had asked Lucas to drop off some of his favorite books for Haley to read, figuring that they probably liked the same kind of thing. It only took Haley until she got to the third page to realize that her sore and banged up brain couldn't handle such intense material. Brooke asked if there were any trashy romance novels that she wanted her to pick up, but even those turned out to be too much of a challenge to comprehend.

Finally, and with much glee, Brooke had suggested that she pick her sister up some gossip magazines from the gift shop down stairs. Much to Haley's dismay, it seemed that People Magazine and US Weekly were the only things she could stand to look at right now. She wasn't any smarter, but she knew exactly what Britney and Kevin were up to and she had climbed aboard the Brad and Angelina hate train. Poor Jen, she kept thinking.

"Can you believe them?" Haley asked out of nowhere, waking Taylor from her light sleep. The sudden question jolted her awake, and the blonde sat up in the chair beside the bed, looking at her little sister, telling her to repeat the question. "Can you believe them?"

"Believe who?" she asked with a yawn, pushing her chair back and standing up to walk around the room. She had been sitting in that chair for the past three days, and she didn't think that her ass could take it any longer. The only time she was free from it was when she went to her father's house to sleep at night, since the hospital would only allow one cot in the room and of course, that was reserved for Brooke.

"Brad and Angelina," Haley informed her, holding up the page that she had been reading to show Taylor the article that she was referring to. Taylor didn't bother to look at it, just continued to walk around the room. "They're just frolicking around on the beach with that son of her's, completely ignorant to the fact that poor Jennifer will no doubt see these pictures on the cover of every magazine…"

"Whoa," Taylor breathed, stopping in mid step to look at her sister. She and Brooke were the ones that liked that kind of stuff; they stayed up on all the recent gossip and juicy goings on in Hollywood, not Haley. She couldn't remember the last time that she had seen Haley show any interest in the lifestyles of the rich and famous. "Since when do you care?"

"Since Brooke's been buying me these magazines," she answered, completely aware that she shouldn't care, and once she was out of the hospital and capable of reading something intellectual, she probably wouldn't. "And I've had to see Brad and Angelina holding hands and laughing on the cover of all of them, and not once, have I seen a picture or read an interview with poor Jennifer Aniston. God, the world is just full of double standards. I bet you that if it were Jennifer that cheated on Brad, she be crucified by now."

"The world is full of injustices, kiddo," Taylor smirked, finding it amusing that Haley was getting so into the whole thing. Sure, Taylor agreed with her, but she didn't care enough to voice her opinion. "And I think you should start worry more about you and your injustices than Jen's."

"Whatever." Taylor winced at the word. Over the last two and a half weeks, that seemed to have become Haley's new favorite word. Everytime that someone tried to talk to her about what happened or about how she was feeling, that was her response. It was like the code word for 'leave me the fuck alone'. While Brooke never seemed to get the message, Taylor knew when to drop it. "When's Brooke coming back?"

"Whenever school is done, I would assume," Taylor answered, glancing at her watch. She was wondering the same thing. It wasn't that she didn't love Haley to death, and she was glad that Haley had finally warmed up to her and let her into the room, but she was really uncomfortable around her, something that never happened with Taylor James. "Then she has to drive up here, so I don't know. How long is it from Tree Hill to here?"

"I don't know," Haley mumbled, slumping back in her bed and tossing her now forgot magazine onto the table beside her bed. She didn't feel like reading anymore, she didn't think that she could take it anymore, actually. She was more interested in making Taylor squirm now instead. She knew that Taylor has been itching to tell her something, but Haley couldn't figure it out. "I wasn't really in the right mind frame when I made the trip either time."

"Oh," Taylor breathed, realizing that wasn't the best thing to bring up. "Right." She glanced up at Haley to see if she was upset at all, hoping that she would be showing at least some kind of emotion. No such luck. "Sorry."

"Whatever," she repeated; making sure that Taylor didn't see how much the thought at killed her. She didn't know what the hell was wrong with her. Why couldn't she just break down and cry about it? Maybe if she could do that, if she could break mope about it for a little bit, then she could start to heal, and maybe even eventually get over it. But that would never happen if she continued to act like this. She didn't know what her problem was, why she couldn't allow herself to break down. Maybe she was just waiting for the right person to break down in front of.

Taylor watched the flicker of emotion play across her little sister's face, and she didn't know what to do. She knew that if it were Brooke, the brunette would have been all over it, demanding and begging that Haley tell her what she was thinking. Brooke would be just so overjoyed at the sign of any progress with her sister, and she wouldn't even think twice about trying to get more.

But Taylor could relate to Haley more. While she shared more of the same interests as Brooke, she always seemed to relate to her other little sister more. She wasn't quite sure what it was, and when she had asked Haley about it last year, Haley thought that maybe it was because they had the same mentality. Brooke tended to wear her heart on her sleeve, but Haley and Taylor always tried to hide their emotions. With that said, she knew that if the rolls were reversed, and she was the one in the hospital bed, if Haley tried to push her, they would just end up worse than where they started.

"Hay, I have to tell you something," Taylor told her suddenly, not wanting to dwell on it any longer. She could tell that Haley was starting to get uncomfortable about where their conversation was headed, and the last thing that Taylor wanted was for Haley to shut down on her again. Haley was talking to her, and that was a good thing.

"Finally," Haley sighed, but sent her big sister a slight smile for changing the subject. She knew that not a lot of people knew Taylor well, least of all Brooke, but if there was one thing she learn about the blonde over their last two years together, it was that Taylor was really good at reading people, especially her baby sister.

"What are you talking about?"

"I could tell that you've been dying to tell me something all week," Haley explained, patting the side of her bed to tell Taylor that it was okay to sit down beside her. She was surprised at how unsure and nervous Taylor was around her, the blonde was never unsure of herself around anyone. "So out with it."

"I guess I was kind of afraid of what you'd say," Taylor admitted, not sure why she was explaining herself in the first place. Shaking her head, she slowly walked over to the bed and carefully sat down on the side of it so she was facing Haley, careful that she didn't touch Haley's healing leg.

"Just say it," Haley suggested, resting her head on her pillow and allowing herself to relax. "Look around, Tay. I really doubt that anything you have to say could possibly make things worse."

"It all depends on how you look at it, really," Taylor told her. She really wasn't sure what Haley's reaction was going to be. She had told Brooke that Haley would be cool with the idea, but she really wasn't sure. Haley was pretty much unpredictable nowadays. One day she was bitter and pushing people away and the next, she was all chatty and friendly. She really hoped that Haley was as excited as Brooke was.

"Just spill it already, Taylor," Haley teased her. Her voice was light, but she really was starting to get annoyed, something that happened quite easily nowadays, it seemed. "I know that it may seem like it, but I'm not going to live forever."

"I want you to come live with me," she finally just blurted it out. She had been killing herself all week to keep quiet and she just couldn't do it anymore. She was tired of worrying about it. It wasn't like Haley was going to have a choice really, she was going to be moving in with them either way because thanks to Carol, Taylor was going to be their officially guardian. She would just like to know whether Haley was going to be happy about it or not.

"What?" Haley couldn't believe her ears. She didn't know what she had been expecting Taylor to tell her, but that wasn't it. Moving in with Taylor in Chapel Hill? She didn't know where she was going to be going when she finally got out of the hospital, but out of all the places she could be going, Taylor's dingy rat hole wasn't at the top of her list. "Move to Chapel Hill? I don't know, Tay. What about Tree Hill, I just figured I'd be moving in with my mom. I liked Tree Hill; I already made friends there. And what about Brooke? Or Nathan?"

"Slow down there, Haley-bub," Taylor laughed at the display. She didn't think she'd heard Haley say so much at once all week. Haley opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when she saw the look on Taylor's face, and decided to let her continue with what she was saying. "Are you going to let me explain?"

"I didn't know there was more," Haley defended, not liking the amused way that Taylor was looking at her. She hated being out of the loop.

"Carol is currently working on getting me custody of you brats," Taylor began, smiling at the shocked look on Haley's face. "I know, you never thought you'd see that day, right? But I really want this, Haley. There is nothing that I would want more than to help you and Brookie out, I love you guys."

"But in Chapel Hill…"

"In Tree Hill," Taylor corrected her firmly. She watched the confusion cloud Haley's face at the statement. "Brooke's boyfriend Lucas was telling Brooke that he knew of a few places that are up for rent for pretty cheap. We're thinking that it shouldn't be a problem to move in there."

"Taylor," Haley breathed, trying to let it all sink in. Just moments ago, the thought of not going back to Tree Hill killed her, not being about to see all those caring people again, never being able to see Nathan again, but now? Knowing that she would no doubt see Nathan again was scaring her just as much as the thought of never seeing him again. She was really sick of all the meds the doctors were giving her. "I can't just ask you to give up your life like that for us."

"You are my life, Hay," Taylor told her, her voice not wavering in the slightest. She needed Haley to know that it was true, that she would give up anything to make Haley's life better again. She couldn't stand to see Haley's living and acting the way that she was. "You and Brooke. Besides, I'm thinking this Tree Hill place sounds pretty cool. And it's not like I'm giving up some kind of four-star life back in Chapel Hill. I'll be much happier wherever you brats are."

"Are you sure, Taylor?" Haley had to ask. She couldn't live with herself if she didn't. The last thing that she wanted was for her big sister to completely drop everything and give up her life just to take care of her. She hated the fact that everyone's lives were changing just because of her, even the people that she barely knew just Nathan and Peyton and Lucas. "Because this is huge."

"It's already happening, baby," Taylor told her softly. She didn't regret telling Carol to go ahead and start the process last week when Brooke had said yes. She was totally looking forward to reconnecting with her sisters again. "Brooke already agreed to it, and Carol wanted to get things moving."

"So what was the point of asking me?" Haley asked with a half smile. She didn't want Taylor to know how happy she was at the thought of living with Brooke and her. She had been scared of living with her mother, but she knew that with Brooke there, she would be okay.

"Just a formality, really," Taylor joked, hitting her playfully on her arm, which just happened to be one of the only part of her body that wasn't hurt. "Didn't want to make you feel like you didn't have a say."

"But I don't," Haley pointed out with a smile which made Taylor chuckle. She hated herself for smiling, but she just couldn't bring herself to frown. For the first time since she opened the door that fateful night, Haley actually had faith that things might be okay.

--**Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference.--**

Brooke walked through the halls of Tree Hill High as if she were a robot. She couldn't believe that she was here while Haley was lying in a hospital bed. She shouldn't be at school; it was the last place that she would want to be. She should be sitting beside Haley right now, holding her hand and talking to her, not going to English class to listen to the teacher talk about something that really didn't matter to her at all.

She was so sick of getting all the looks from everybody in the hallway. Some how, they had all found out what happened to Haley and why she and her friends had run out of the dance. She wasn't completely sure, but she pretty much just assumed that it was Tim who had split the beans. He hadn't tried to hit on her at all during first period and that was a dead giveaway.

"Brooke?" came a voice from behind her. Brooke stopped immediately at the sound of her name. She had been getting the looks all day, but nobody had dared to say anything to her yet. She turned around and had to stop the bitter laugh that threatened to escape when she saw who was talking to her.

"What do you want, Chrissy?" Brooke spat at her, walking over despite herself. She certainly didn't want to have this conversation for the entire hallway to hear. As she approached her, Chrissy watched nervously, not sure what the cheerleader was going to do to her.

"I, um," she stuttered, getting flustered under Brooke's intense glare. She closed her eyes for a brief moment to collect her thoughts and remember what she wanted to say to her. "I just wanted to tell you that I heard about what happened to your sister…"

"It seems to be the buzz of the school," Brooke snapped bitterly. Now she knew why Peyton always told her to stop gossiping; it's not really as much fun when it's you and the person you love most that they're talking about.

"I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry," she continued, ignoring Brooke's comment. She was scared of what Brooke would say to her, but she needed to tell Brooke this. She quickly continued when she saw that Brooke was about to say something. "I'm sorry about what happened to your sister, I'm sorry that you've had to live with this, and I'm sorry about the way that I treated Haley her first day."

"You know what's funny?" Brooke asked, letting out a defeated sigh. "Three weeks ago, hearing you say those things would have been the highlight of my life. It makes me sick to watch the way you treat people, it's not right. They are not here to be your victims, and you really need to stop making them out to be."

"I know," Chrissy whispered, having been thinking about those exact things since she heard about what happened to Brooke's sister from Tanya the day after the dance. "I need to change, and I will. I'm just so incredibly sorry that it took something like this to realize it."

"Me too," Brooke nodded. She felt kind of sorry for the girl, and she could tell that Chrissy genuinely wanted to change. It was just too bad that wasn't enough for Brooke. "And I'm glad that you understand that now. But here's the thing, Chrissy; when Haley comes back here, you don't say a word to her, got it? You don't even look at her. And you can tell the rest of the student body that as well. If someone so much as looks at her with pity in their eyes, I will hold you responsible. I think we both know that you don't want that."

"Okay." Both knew that Brooke was being completely irrational, but neither of them was going to say anything. They understood each other and that was all that matter. With one more nod, Brooke turned on her heel and continued down the hallway, ignoring the stares.

She made it all the way to her locker before seeing any of her friends. She rolled her eyes when she spotted Jake and Peyton pretending to get something out of Jake's locker. It was so obvious that they were just waiting for her, considering that she couldn't remember the last time that Jake had used his locker; they were always at Peyton's.

Ignoring them, she walked over to her locker and opened it, swinging her bag around to her front so she could get the rest of her books. She watched as Jake and Peyton silently argued before Peyton and a reluctant Jake finally came over to see how she was doing.

"Hey, Brookie," Peyton greeted in a gentle tone that made Brooke want to slap her. Peyton knew how much Brooke hated to be pitied for any reason, and yet here she was, talking to her like she was about to break.

"Pey, Jake, hey," she greeted them as casually as possible, just sending them a quick glance before going back to look in her locker. "What's going on?"

"Brooke, what are you doing?" Peyton was never one to beat around the bush. She knew what Haley's condition was, and she couldn't believe her ears when Tim told them that Brooke was there today. She didn't expect to see Brooke at school until Haley was there.

"I'm putting my English books away," Brooke told her without looking, acting as if she didn't understand the question. She knew what Peyton was really asking her, but she didn't have the energy to have this discussion at the moment. "What does it look like?"

"What are you doing at school?" the blonde clarified even though she knew that Brooke knew exactly what she was talking about. Brooke froze for a moment in mid reach, before she brushed it off and continued what she was doing, careful not to look at the picture of her and Haley on her locker door. "You should be with Haley, Brooke, not walking around here like a zombie."

"It's not exactly my choice, Peyton," Brooke snapped, throwing her last book into her bag before slamming her locker shut and making Peyton and Jake jump. She turned to them and glared, but Peyton could clearly see the exhaustion and pain in her eyes. "I've already missed too much school, it's been more than two weeks. Mr. Chase called and said that the school board has a policy and unless I'm the one in the hospital bed, then I can't miss more than 10 days at a time, especially with my previous attendance record. So, if I don't want to go to court, then I have to be here."

"That sucks," Jake piped up, saying something for the first time since they walked over. He figured it was something like that, knowing that Brooke would never leave Haley's side unless she had to. He had tried to keep Peyton away, but nothing was able to stop his girlfriend, but that didn't surprise him at all; her stubbornness was one of the things he loved about her.

"Yeah, well," Brooke laughed bitterly, swinging her bag back around her shoulders. "A lot of things in my life suck right now, don't they? What's one more thing?" Without giving them a chance to say anything, she turned on her heel again, leaving someone standing there for the second time today, and stalked off, offering only a weak, "See ya," over her shoulder.

**---OTH---**

"Rough day?" came an all too familiar voice from behind her. Knowing exactly who it was, Brooke smirked to herself, glad that she had decided against going to eat lunch in the cafeteria.

"You have no idea," she told him, spinning around on the ledge to see his beautiful blue eyes. She took one last sip of her water before twisting the cap on and tossing it back into her bag. Nathan jumped over the concrete structure so he was sitting beside her. "All I do is think about her. I couldn't tell you one thing either of my teachers talked about in class today. And I think they know why I'm not all there, because they didn't pick on me like they usually do when I don't pay attention."

"That's pretty much the way it's been for me for the past two weeks," he admitted to her, hoping that she didn't think he was trying to trivialize her feelings. He has come to except that he's not the one hurting most about this, and he didn't want Brooke to think that he thought he knew what she was feeling because he knew he didn't, but he didn't want Brooke to feel like she was the only one that cared. They all cared about her and Haley, most of all him. "But my teachers haven't been so understanding."

"I would imagine not," Brooke laughed slightly, though it was hollow and both of them knew it. Shaking her head and letting out a sigh, she turned to him, the best fake smile she could muster plastered on her face. "So, where's Lucas today? I was surprised I didn't see him English this morning."

"He's got the flu," Nathan answered, just remembering that his brother was sick. He hadn't really been thinking about him at all, with all of his energy and focus and worry going to Haley. "I think he's getting better. You should stop by and see him after school before you head back to the hospital. I know he'd love to see you, he's missed you like crazy."

"I've missed him to," she breathed out, perhaps just now realizing how much she had missed him. She had been so focused on Haley; she hadn't really let herself think about Lucas or anything in Tree Hill, really. Now that she thought about it, nothing would comfort her more right now, then being wrapped up in Luke's arms.

"Then you should drop by quickly after school."

"I might just do that." They smile sadly at each other, both trying to ignore the circumstances of their conversation. Both of them knew what Nathan's intentions were when he started talking to her, they weren't exactly the best of friends, so if he was talking to her, he wanted something. And she knew exactly what it was. Finally, the silence got to him, and Nathan just decided to bite the bullet.

"How is she?" he asked gentle, not sure how Brooke was going to react. He wasn't sure whether she would snap at him, ignore him or burst into tears. He didn't care though, he couldn't stop thinking about Haley and he had to know how she was doing.

"Okay, I guess," she answered, her voice as hollow as her laugh had been. It seems that she had learned a few things from Haley's behavior during the past few weeks. For the first time, she understood why Haley was blocking all of this out. She got why Haley always snapped at her when she asked if she was okay too many times. It wasn't fun being pitied and stared at. "Considering everything. She's kinda just trying to pretend it didn't happen."

"So she's shutting you out again, huh?" Nathan couldn't say he was surprised. He figured that was what she was going to do. She tried to do that when she first came to Tree Hill, but she had opened up to him somewhat, and it seemed that she was finally starting to open up to Brooke, it seemed she was ready to let Brooke in finally. Then everything happened with her father, and he didn't blame her for shutting down again. He would do the exact same thing.

"Yep, pretty much," Brooke nodded, trying her best to keep the bitterness out of her voice. As much as it hurt her to be shut out like that, she couldn't hold it against Haley, she completely understood it now. But it didn't make it hurt any less.

"Just give her time," Nathan suggested, knowing that he wasn't really in the best place to be giving her advice, but he thought he had a pretty good idea how Haley's mind worked by now. "I'm sure she'll let you in soon. She was really close last time, before you dad came back." He saw her freeze at the mention of her father, but he continued despite it. "And then she got burned. Just give her some time to let it all sink in, she can't hold it in forever."

"But she'll try," Brooke told him, her voice shaky but serious. "And that's what scares me. I know Haley, and she will keep this bottled up inside until she just can't take it anymore and when she lets it all out, it might be too late."

"We won't let that happen," he assured her, putting an arm around her shoulder when he saw her eyes start to water at the thought. "You won't let that happen, I know it."

"She's going to self destruct, Nathan, I know she will," Brooke cried, leaning into him, and ignoring all the stares they were getting from the few students that passed them by. "She won't let me help, she won't let anyone help her. She acts like there's nothing wrong, like nothing happened, and she can't do it forever. One of these days, she's just going to completely break and I'm scared of what's going to happen."

"You'll fix her," he promised, rubbing soothing circles on her back. "And if you'll let me, I'll try to help you fix her." Brooke pushed off of him, and the words that were on her lips never got free as the bell rang loudly, signaling the end of lunch and the start of class for them both.

"Thanks, Nate," she whispered, standing up and grabbing her back, wanting to get out of there before Nathan could ask her if she was okay. No, she wasn't okay, and even though she knew Nathan knew that, she didn't know if she could stand to answer that question again. "I, ah, I gotta go. I'll see you around."

"Bye," he called after her weakly, knowing it was no use since she was already half way down the crowded hallway. He slumped his shoulders and sat there, processing everything that had just happened. He watched as the students rushed passed him, some to the cafeteria and some to their classes.

Acting on impulse alone, he jumped to his feet, grabbed his back pack and pushed his way through the crowd, towards the front of the school.

**---OTH---**

"Taylor?" Haley called out in a helpless tone. Taylor sighed, knowing the voice well, and looked up at her sister to see what she wanted. "Do you love me?"

"More than anything," she sighed, knowing this was going to be big if Haley was opening with that question. "What do you want, Hay?"

"Could you go down to the gift shop and grab me some more magazines?" She pouted and pointed to the pile of magazines on her bedside table that she had already read through. "And a chocolate bar would be nice too."

"You're such a brat," Taylor mumbled, pushing herself out of the chair from Hell and moving towards the door. Feeling the numbness in her ass start to disappear as she walked, she realized that she didn't really mind getting out of the room for a while. "I'll be back in about 10 minutes, I'm probably going to walk around a little bit, okay? See if there's any hot make nurses or doctors around."

"Take your time," Haley told her, happy to finally have some time alone. Taylor through a wave to her before she pushed open the door and disappeared from the room in search of some candy for her sister and some eye candy for herself. Haley could feel her entire body relax when Taylor left the room.

As much as she loved her sisters, and she was very touched at how much they seemed to care, she was starting to suffocate with them around all the time. Each day it was getting harder and harder not to burst into tears whenever she saw her sisters, whenever Brooke looked at her with all that sadness and regret in her eyes.

As hard as it was for her to hold it all in, she knew it would be even harder on her if she let it out. She couldn't tell them how much pain she was in, she couldn't tell them how much she wished that her father had just killed her, and she couldn't tell them that she couldn't take much more. She just couldn't open up to them like that, she had to keep it in, and she had to hold it together.

She couldn't break, she wouldn't. If she broke, then there would be no going back. Breaking down would be admitting that all of this happened and she wasn't ready to except that, not yet. She couldn't.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door. She felt her body freeze for a moment when she realized that she was alone, but then she relaxed slightly when she remembered that her father had been moved to the country jail last week and that nobody would be dumb enough to try something in such a crowded building. Swallowing past the lump in her throat, she found her voice.

"Come in," she called, hoping that things didn't turn out as colossally bad as they did last time there was a knock at the door and she answered it. Holding her breath, she watched with increasing anxiety as the door slowly opened. After what felt like a million years, the visitor was revealed and she felt completely different emotions flow through her at the sight of those beautiful eyes.

"Hey," he greeted her, not knowing if he should go in or not. "I know that I shouldn't be here, and I'm not supposed to be here, but… I just had to see you." Haley felt her heart flutter and clench at his words. "Is it alright if I come in?"

Haley continued to stare at him, still not believing that he was really there, trying desperately to find her voice.

**---OTH---**

I got nothing to say. Please tell me what you think. Peace.


	39. Someday Love Will Finally Be Enough

_Author's Note_: Hey! Okay, so I'm soooooooooo unbelievebly sorry that it took me so long to get this chapter up. I really had no idea what I wanted to happen here. I hope you guys don't feel to cheated with this. Anyway, I'm gonna update All Falls Down as well, so I hope two updates makes up for it. Please enjoy and don't forget to review!

**---OTH---**

**-- She's beautiful as usual, with bruises on her ego, and her killer instinct tells her to be aware of evil men.--**

_"Nathan?" Haley whispered, finally able to find her voice. She couldn't believe that he was actually standing just a few feet away from her. And she was even more surprised at the fact that she wasn't freaked out about it. She had thought about seeing Nathan for the last few weeks and she wasn't sure what her reaction was going to be when she did see him. "What are you doing here?"_

_"I had to come here," he told her again, taking a careful step into the room. As much as he hoped that Haley would be okay with him being there, he knew there was a very big chance that she would reject him, be scared of him. "I had to see you. I was worried about you."_

_"I'm okay," she whispered, but the words didn't reach her eyes. She also knew that Nathan didn't believe her. They had only talked for a week, really, but Nathan knew her so well, she knew that he would be able to see right through her. "But I'm glad that you came. I've been wanting to see you." _

_"I wanted to come earlier, but Lucas said I should wait," he informed her, moving all the way over to her bed, standing beside her now. He reached out his arm, gently brushing a few strains out of her face, smiling sadly down at her. "I wasn't sure if you'd want to see me."_

_"Of course I would." As soon as the words were out of her mouth, she felt his arms wrap themselves around her. She wasn't sure if she had subconsciously leaned into him and he was reacting to her, or if he had made the first move. _

_It didn't really much matter though, she supposed. All that matter at that moment was that her and Nathan were together, that he had come to see her. She had been afraid that the whole event with her dad had scared him off, but she was so happy to see that it didn't. She couldn't understand why someone would want to be with someone as emotionally disabled as she was, but she was thankful. _

_As amazing as it was, she felt like she could break down with him, let herself go in a way that she could never with Brooke or even Taylor. With Nathan, she could break down and just let it all out, but of course, he didn't have the power to make it better. The only person that could make her feel better, to make her whole again, was Brooke. And she wasn't ready to break down with Brooke yet, and for the life of her, she couldn't figure out why. _

_"It's gonna be okay, Haley," Nathan mumbled over and over again, kissing her softly on her hair and rubbing his hand up and down her back in a soothing manner. "I'm here for you, as long as you need me…"_

"Haley?"

"Huh?" she mumbled, blinking a few times to get everything into focus. She stared at the man in the doorway, trying to figure out who the hell he was. Her eyes darted around the room in search of Nathan, but he was nowhere to be found. She had imagined that whole thing, she realized. She should really remember to ask the doctor about the drugs they're giving her, they're really messing with her head.

"Are you okay?" the man asked, but didn't make any move to come into the room. Something that Haley was extremely grateful for, since she had no clue as to who the hell this guy was.

"I'm sorry," she told him; forcing the best smile she could muster, which wasn't much. She swallowed past the lump that had been in her throat for the past two weeks and tried to give him her full attention, though her mind was still thinking about Nathan and what she thought she had just experienced. "What did you say?"

"I was just asking if I could come in?" he repeated, losing most of the nerve he had managed to work up before coming here. He didn't know what the hell he had been thinking, coming to see Haley, to talk to her. He didn't deserve anything from her, and he hated himself for coming to ask for it anyway.

"After you tell me who you are," she answered, bringing her injured arm onto her lap and glancing at the clock, wondering when Taylor was going to be back. She silently cursed herself for sending her big sister away.

"Oh, right," he laughed nervous, shoving a hand into his pocket and rocking on his heels. "Um, my name's Tony Shaw, I'm your mother's boyfriend." He paused and shut his eyes for a moment, catching his mistake. "Was. I was your mother's boyfriend."

"Oh," was all that Haley could say. Over the last two weeks, perhaps the only person that she had thought about than her father would have to be her mother. It was different than it was with her dad though, with him, she couldn't think about him. With her mother, it was more because she didn't want to. "Is she okay?"

"No, yeah, yeah, she's fine," he answered quickly, hoping to get off of the topic as soon as possible. It still hurt to think about Grace, he had loved her so much. "At least she was the last time I talked to her. She's not really returning my phone calls at the moment."

"I'm sorry?" Haley offered, not completely sure what exactly Tony was looking for from her. She didn't care about her mother at the moment, so it was obvious how much she didn't care about her mother's boyfriend.

"That's not why I'm here," he quickly added, seeing that Haley was already getting bored with the conversation. He needed to get this over with because he wasn't sure how much longer he could stand to look at Haley and feel the gut wrenching guilt of knowing it was all his fault. "I'm actually here to tell you something."

"If you're here to try to get me to talk to my mother, you can save your breath," she cut him off, not interested in hearing his sales pitch. She had already thought about it, thinking back to the conversation that she had had with Grace the night everything happened. Nothing too exciting had happened, but she did remember that her mother didn't even bother to apologize to her. "I have no intention of speaking to her anytime soon…"

"This has nothing to do with your mother," he told her, adverting his eyes from her face. "Though I do think that you should give her a second chance. She's so sorry for everything that happened to you, and for everything that was her fault in this whole mess…"

"Why are you here again?"

"Right, sorry," he mumbled. He took a deep breath, quickly going over what he had practice to say. He had pictured this moment in his head over and over again since he had finally made the decision to come to talk to Haley, but he couldn't believe how hard this was. "I'm here to apologize to you."

"I've never met you," she pointed out, raising her eyebrow at him in confusion. She had no idea what he was talking about, but she couldn't fight the bad feeling she was getting. She already knew this wasn't going to be good in the slightest. "What could you possibly have to apologize for?"

"Everything," he admitted, his voice cracking ever so slightly. This was so much harder than he thought it would be. How could he look that poor girl in the eyes and tell her that everything that's wrong in her life is because of him. Haley stared at him in confusion for a moment, waiting for him to explain himself. After the silence started to strangle him, he finally just said it. "I called your father that night. I told him where you were."

"You, you what?" Haley asked, struggling to understand what he was saying. There was no way she heard him right. What kind of person would do that to a teenage girl? How did he even know how to reach her father? "I don't understand. Why would you do something like that?"

"I didn't mean to," he tried, daring to step further into the room. The flinch that earned from Haley didn't go unnoticed by him. Haley gave him the chance to explain what had happened, why he had done it, and when it was all out in the open, it didn't make him feel even the slightest bit better. "I'm so sorry, Haley, you have to believe me."

"I do," she whispered, still reeling from everything that this guy had just told her. She couldn't believe it, her life was a completely pile of crap thanks to this man she had never met before. "It doesn't erase anything that happened or make my body any less broken, but I believe that you're sorry."

"Can you ever forgive me?" He knew he had absolutely no right to ask, and he always knew that the odds of her forgiving him were extremely thin, but he had to ask. He could never live with himself if he didn't at least try.

"I doubt it," she told him honestly, her eyes glancing down to her casted arm to emphasize why she couldn't forgive him. "At least not while I'm in here. And you can tell my mom not to bother stopping by either, not that she's tried at all these past weeks."

"You have no idea how much this is killing her…"

"Hey!" came a loud voice from behind Tony, causing both him and Haley to jump in fear and surprise. Tony turned around to find Nathan towering over him, an angry and pissed of look on his face. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Nathan, I was just, I just wanted to say sorry," Tony stuttered, wondering why he was so afraid of this kid. He sized him up and figured they were evenly matched. He looked into the boy's eyes and saw the fury in them. That was why.

"You were just leaving," he informed him through clenched teeth. He knew exactly what Tony had done, how he was responsible for everything that had happened to Haley. Brooke had told Lucas, and he had told Nathan. He took a step forward, his eyes blazing in anger. "Say goodbye to Haley."

"I just wanted to…" Tony gulped as Nathan took another terrifying step towards him. He turned to Haley with the most apologetic face he could muster with Nathan standing so close to him. "Goodbye, Haley. Again, I'm so sorry." Before Nathan could threaten him again, Tony fled the room, leaving Nathan and Haley alone.

"Hey," he said softly, giving her a slight wave. He wasn't sure what her reaction was going to be at his presence. He had been so nervous the whole way over to the hospital, but it had all gone away the moment he spotted Tony in the doorway. Now that the situation had been handled, he was nervous again. "I know that I shouldn't be here, and I'm not supposed to be here, but… I just had to see you."

Haley stared blankly at him in shock, not believing that her little dream from a few minutes ago was coming true. Those were the exact words that Nathan had spoken to her, right before he held her in his arms, making her feel like everything was going to be okay. She could remember the feeling exactly, it had been amazing.

"Is it alright if I come in?" Not being able to find her voice, Haley simply nodded.

**-- Forsake not an old friend, for a new one does not compare with him.--**

"I'm so glad you decided to stop by," Lucas whispered into Brooke's hair, leaving a soft kiss on her hair. Brooke smiled against his chest and tried to snuggle into his arms even further. "I missed you so much."

"You have no idea," Brooke replied, bringing her head up so she could see the face that she'd been thinking about for the past two weeks. "I've thought about you every night, wished you were there with me. I bet you could have made me feel better."

"I most certainly would have tried," Lucas assured her, giving her a slight grin. He knew that his presence wouldn't have made her feel better, at this point he didn't know if anything short of turning back time could make Brooke feel better, but he would have tried his hardest to make it more bearable.

"But I know why you didn't," Brooke spoke, tearing her eyes away from his and bringing her faze down to where her hand was absently playing with a lose thread on his shirt. "And I'm kinda glad that you stayed away, you know? Haley didn't need anyone else around and I needed to let her know that she was the most important thing to me."

"I totally understand," he quickly told her, kissing her forehead again to make sure that she knew just how much he understood the way that she withdrew from him for the past couple of weeks. "You don't need to explain anything to me. I get it. And I'll be right here waiting whenever you need me."

"You are the best boyfriend," Brooke told him, grinning at him ear from ear. She could see the look on his face and she knew that he could tell she was faking it. Lucas knew her pretty well, second best after Haley, and there was no doubt in her mind that he could see that her smile didn't reach her eyes. It actually hurt to smile like she was, but she had to do it or else she knew Lucas wouldn't let her leave until he could make it all better.

"So you've told me," he played along. Yeah, he knew that she wasn't happy, there was no way she possibly could be, but it didn't look like he was going to be able to break through the façade she had manage to build up. Brooke held her smile for a moment longer before she rested her head back on his chest, where he couldn't see her face, where she didn't have to smile.

As much as she hated the fact that she wasn't with Haley right now, she was so glad that she had decided to come over to see Lucas like Nathan had suggested. For the passed couple of weeks she had been telling herself that she didn't need Lucas right now, at least not as much as Haley needed her. And even though she was right, she did need to be strong for her sister, that didn't mean that she couldn't need her boyfriend as well.

It felt so good to be in his arms again. It wasn't the same as it used to be, but it still felt so good. Before when she would lie down with him, she could forget everything that was going on in her life and just be there with him. Now though, even in his arms, she couldn't take her mind off of Haley.

But that didn't matter at the moment. She knew that Taylor was there with Haley, and she knew that their father was locked away, so there really wasn't anything to worry about. Except the fact that she was afraid that Haley would somehow have some sort of breakthrough while she was away and she wouldn't be there to hold her. Hold Haley like Lucas was holding her.

It felt so safe to be here in his arms. It was like nothing could possibly hurt her. And it just seemed to occur to her at that moment that this was probably what Haley felt when she would hold her. She remembered that Haley would always ask her to sleep in the hospital bed with her, even though the nurse had been nice enough bring up a cot for her to sleep in.

Every night they would start off in their own beds and then Haley would speak suddenly in the darkness, asking Brooke if she wanted to sleep in bed with her. Brooke wasn't an idiot, she knew that Haley was asking her to but didn't want to sound needy, so of course she would sleep in the bed with her.

She never thought much of it because they always used to share a bed before, it always felt like a sleepover, but now that she thought about it, it should have been strange to her, since Haley was in such bad condition. It would make sense for her to want the most room possible for herself at night.

She couldn't believe that it wasn't until just know that she understood why she wanted her to sleep with her. It was so she would feel safe. Haley had been trying her hardest to pretend that she wasn't upset about what had happened, like she didn't care about what their father had done, but it was so clear to her now. It was easy to be strong during the day when everyone was around, but it was scary at night. It was unsafe.

Haley needed to feel safe, just like Brooke needed to feel safe. Brooke got that feeling from being with Lucas, Haley got it from Brooke. That thought both made her smile, a genuine one, and scared her to death. She didn't know if she liked the idea of having that much responsibility.

She didn't know if she could always protect Haley. Hell, if these passed two year has taught them anything, it's that she's been doing a crap ass job of it. But for some reason, Haley kept coming to her, relying on her to keep her safe. And that thought alone was enough to give Brooke the confidence to do it.

"I love you," she spoke softly, still not looking up at Lucas, instead busying herself with that thread on his shirt. "I hope you know that. And as much as I wish I could talk to you about everything that's going on with me right now, you know that I can't. If I do, it'll just make things worse right now."

"Well," Lucas began, not exactly sure what she wanted him to say. On one hand, he understood that it was probably harder for her to talk about it all than to hold it all in, but on the other hand, he knew that if she didn't talk about it with someone, things would just get worse. "I'll be here when you think you're ready to talk about it."

"I just wish that Haley would break down," Brooke admitted even though she said she didn't want to talk about it. She couldn't talk about what she was feeling, what she was going through, but she could talk about Haley, what Haley was doing to her. "That she would let me help her through this, you know?"

"She will, honey," Lucas promised her, running a reassuring hand up and down her back. "I know she will. She loves you and she needs you. This is just all so much, I couldn't even imagine it. She just needs time to process it all. I know she'll talk to you when she's ready."

"Sometimes I just get scared that she's never going to let me in," Brooke finally admitted. She had talked about this with Taylor before, telling her how much it hurt to have Haley shut her out the way she was, but she hadn't told Taylor about that fear, it was too hard. Taylor wouldn't have understood, she didn't think.

"What do you mean?" he asked gently, not wanting to upset her at all. This was hard enough as it was for her, and he was just so happy that she was opening up to him slightly. He didn't want to scare her off. "Why wouldn't she let you in?"

"I get the feeling that she blames me for what happened," Brooke spoke, barely audible. It was so hard to admit it out loud, it made it feel real. She could tell that Lucas was going to say something, so she quickly continued. "I mean, I talked to her about it that night and she told me she didn't blame me, but she was so drugged up she didn't even know who I was. I just, I don't know. I blame me, I guess."

"Why would you blame yourself?" He knew the whole story and he guess he could see why she would blame herself since she knew about what was going on for so long, but he still didn't think it was her fault what happened that night. It was Tony's, and his alone.

"I'm her big sister, Luke," Brooke told him, pushing away from him and propping herself up on her elbow to look at him. She rolled her eyes at her words. "Emotionally and in all the ways that count, I'm her big sister, despite age. I'm supposed to protect her, keep her safe. And up until recently, I've done a pretty damn good job." He searched his eyes for any understanding. A sad smile slipped on her lips. "I remember this one time at our old school…"

_Brooke let out a sigh of relief when she heard the final bell ring through the school, signaling that it was finally the end of the day. Not waiting for her teacher to dismiss the class, Brooke gathered her things, shoving them haphazardly into her bag, and moved towards the door._

_Following the crowd of hundreds of eager students, Brooke reached her locker without losing any limbs. Letting out a groan as she slipped her heavy bag around to the front of her body, she started piling all of the books she wasn't going to need over the weekend into her locker_.

_As she shoved the books in her locker, she couldn't help but smile at the single picture she had tapped to the metal door. It was a picture of her and Haley, the morning of their 15th birthday that year. They were sitting in the booth of the local Denny's where their Grandmother had taken them for a surprise breakfast, Haley snug in Brooke's arms on her lap. _

"_What a loser," she mumbled to herself when she realized that she was starting to have her own little flashback of that awesome day. It had been just a couple weeks before their Grandmother had suddenly died. She had woke them up bright and early, took them to breakfast, called the school to say they were sick, and then took them on a shopping spree at the mall for their presents. Brooke and Haley both considered it one of the best days of their lives. _

"_Hey, Brooke," came the voice to her life, causing her to jump in surprise. After regaining her composure, she moved the locker door to reveal one of her oldest friends, Lindsay, standing there with a smile on her face._

_"Jesus, Linds," Haley laughed, holding a hand to her chest. "You scared the shit out of me." The blonde just rolled her eyes and smile brightly at her, showing Brooke that had been her intention all along. "Bitch. What's up?"_

_"Nothing much," she answered, leaning against the locker beside Brooke's and watched her change her books. "Happy that this damn week is finally over! I thought it was never going to end." Brooke let out a groan in agreement. _

_"You're telling me," she sighed, flipping through her math book to see if she had any homework for the weekend. "But at least this weekend is going to rock. I can't wait for my parents to leave tonight."_

_"Your party is going to rock!" Lindsay cheered, loud enough for the people around her to hear her and cheer as well. "See! You're the most popular sophomore in the school! It's sooo gonna be the party of the year!"_

_"Oh, you know it," Brooke laughed, putting the last of her books into her locker and shutting it. She swung her bag back into place and linked arms with Lindsay as they walked down the crowded hallway. "I still can't believe that mom and dad are just leaving like that and giving us the whole house to ourselves. Are they crazy? What kind of parents would do something that stupid?"_

_"I don't know and I don't care," Lindsay laughed, stepping out of the way of two jocks that were fooling around in the hallway. Brooke shot them a glare, but didn't say anything as they continued to walk. "As long as they're gone, I'm happy."_

_"Tonight is going to rock," Brooke gushed, letting out a squeak of excitement and jumping up and down a bit as they walked towards the entrance to where Lindsay's older sister would be waiting to pick them up. "Kat told me that she heard Tom Warden talking about tonight in second period. I can't believe Tom is coming tonight! He's a Junior! I've been in love with him since the third grade. God, I hope I work up the nerve to talk to him tonight, it'll be my big chance and I'll kill myself if I blow it…"_

_"Brookie?" Lindsay interrupted her, her voice distracted as she brought them to a halt. Brooke normally probably wouldn't have heard her, since she was so preoccupied with fantasizing about Tom, but she noticed that they had stopped walking immediately. _

_"What?" Brooke asked, looking up at Lindsay to see what her problem was. She could see that the blonde was staring at something and before she could follow her gaze herself, Lindsay held up her finger, pointing to the scene that was unfolding out front where a crowd was starting to gather. Brooke rolled her eyes. "God, Tiffany is such a bitch. She always has to humiliate some poor girl everyday. What the hell is her damage, anyway? Who's her victim today? I can't see anything because the no good kids in our school feel the need to watch the massacre instead of doing anything to stop it."_

_"I think it's Haley," she answered, almost afraid to tell her friend that. She knew exactly what was going to happen now. She had to admit though, a part of her was so excited to see Brooke wipe Tiffany Fitzgerald's ass. It was a long time coming._

_"What?" Brooke didn't give Lindsay a chance to see if she was right or not. She just took off running towards the crowd and she could feel Lindsay right behind her, calling out for her to slow down. Of course, Brooke didn't listen; instead she started pushing her way through the crowd, desperate to get to the middle. _

_"Brooke, come on!" Lindsay yelled, stuck on the outside of the crowd. She didn't think she could get them to move, but she figured she could try. "Brooke!"_

_"Move," Brooke groaned when a larger guy wouldn't shove over. She pushed him extra hard and finally made it to the middle, only to find Haley knelt down, trying to shove the contents of her bag back inside, clearly upset over whatever had just happened. Brooke's eyes moved to where Tiffany and her ho posse were laughing hysterically at Haley, mocking her by fake crying. _

_"Ah, don't cry," Tiffany teased, smiling down at Haley, clearly enjoying the whole thing. She didn't seem to notice that Brooke had arrived until she bend down and started helping Haley put her things back in her bag. The moment she saw Brooke, her laughter died on her lips._

_"You okay, baby?" Brooke whispered, making sure to keep her voice down so nobody would hear them. The crowd a fallen silent the moment she had entered. Everyone knew that the shit was going to hit the fan now. Shoving the last book back into Haley's bag, Brooke took her sister's hand and helped her to her feet. _

_"I'm okay," she whispered back, looking up at Brooke briefly before adverting her eyes. She could feel everyone's stares on her, and she could still hear their laughter from before and she couldn't bring herself to look up at them. Especially since she could feel the tear coming to the surface. If she looked at them, saw their faces, she was sure to break down and she refused to do that in front of anyone that wasn't Brooke. _

_"She didn't hurt you?" Brooke asked, sending a glare Tiffany's way. She could tell that she wanted to make a run for it, but the crowd was preventing that from happening. Haley bit her lip and shook her head. Brooke could tell that she was about to start crying and she knew that she would hate herself if she cried in front of all these people. _

_Brooke thought about just taking Haley and walking away, but there was no way she was leaving without beating the crap out of Tiffany for hurting Haley. She let out a sigh and looked around. She spotted Lindsay just as she finally made her way through the crowd. Brooke sent Tiffany a look, telling her she better not try to go anywhere, and lead Haley over to the blonde. _

_"Hales," Lindsay cried the moment she saw the look on the girl's face. She immediately reached out to her and took her arm, brining her to her side, knowing what Brooke was asking her to do. _

_"Take her and wait for your sister," Brooke instructed her, passing her sister off to her friend. She gave Lindsay a look, making sure that she knew to take care of her and make sure that she was okay. The blonde nodded and wrapped her arm around Haley's waist, turning them around and making their way through the crowd. It was much easier this time, since everyone moved out of the way to let them through without hesitation. _

_Once the crowd gathered again and Brooke knew that Haley was out of sight and hopefully hearing rage, Brooke turned back around to face the bitchy blonde, her face full of rage. She could see the looks on everyone's faces around them; they knew what was coming._

_"Look, Brookie," Tiffany began, swallowing hard when she saw the look on Brooke's face. There was no way she was going to be able to talk her way out of this one. She didn't know what she had been thinking when she pushed Haley to the ground, she knew this would happen. "I'm really sorry. It was an accident. She bumped into me, I swear."_

_"I'm not an idiot," Brooke snapped, moving towards Tiffany, making her intent completely obvious. "You're a stupid little bitch. I know it, you know, everyone here knows it. You pick on some poor girl everyday and nobody ever says or does anything. But you picked the wrong girl to mess with today."_

_"I swear, Brookie, it was an accident."_

_"Yeah well, next year when you try out for the cheerleading team and you don't make it, it'll be an accident," Brooke shot back, narrowing her eyes at her. "Or when you walk in on me making out with your boyfriend, that'll be an accident." _

_"You wouldn't dare," Tiffany huffed, taking a step forward without thinking. Luckily for her, one of her friends was smart enough to hold her back. _

_"I would," Brooke corrected her, her voice completely confident, leaving no room for argument or disbelief. "You should know better than to mess with my sister. I will make your life a living hell, you can count on it."_

_"Whatever." It was obvious that she was trying to play it off, but everyone knew that Brooke James had the power to make that happen. Even though she was only a sophomore, she was still considered one of the most popular girls in school since she hung out with a lot of the really popular older girls thanks to cheerleading. _

_"I'm not going to kick your ass here," Brooke assured her, knowing that was what she was worried about. "Not at school. But if you show up at my party tonight, I might end up throwing you through a window, so I'd steer clear." Tiffany gulped again and nodded her head. "And when you see Haley on Monday, you're going to apologize to her, got it?" _

_"Yeah," she mumbled._

_"And you're not going to pick on anyone else, either." Tiffany widened her eyes at that, but saw that Brooke was serious and sighed, nodding. "Good, I'm glad we understand each other. I hope I never have to tell you this again. Any of you," she added, directing it to the crowd. Her warning was met with a collect agreement. "Good."_

_With a bright smile as if she hadn't just threatened someone's life, she walked through the crowd, which parted again like they did for Haley and Lindsay, and made her way over to where her sister and friend were waiting by the car. _

_"Dude, that was awesome," Lindsay cheered, having heard the entire thing. She high fived Brooke and got into the passenger sit to give the sisters a moment. Brooke stood in front of Haley, not sure what her reaction would be. She wasn't sure if she'd be grateful or pissed that she kind of embarrassed her in front of everyone. When Haley didn't say anything, Brooke began to apologize._

_"I'm sorry I did that, but I couldn't just let her do that to you and get away…" It was cut short when Haley lunged herself into Brooke's arms, hugged her with all her might. _

_"Thank you, Tigger," Haley whispered, hugging her for a moment longer before pulling back. Brooke smiled brightly at her and shook her head, letting her know it wasn't a big deal at all. They hugged once more before sliding into the back seat of the car._

_"Very cool," Jen, Lindsay's 19 year old sister, smiled at them from the driver's seat. "I would have done the same thing if someone was picking on my little brat." Lindsay stuck her tongue out at her sister, but smiled anyway, glad to know she would have her sister too if something like that ever happened to her._

_"Of course you would," Brooke nodded, patting Haley on the thigh. "That's just what big sisters do." _

"I would have paid money to see that," Lucas responded, having to laugh at the scene he was imagining in his head. That was one of the reasons he loved his girlfriend so much; she could be shallow at times, but when it counted she was _always_ there for the ones she loved. No questions asked.

"Yeah, well, it wasn't the first time that happened, trust me," Brooke said, fighting the smile that was attempting to show. She loved standing up for Haley; it felt good to know that she was like Haley's guardian angel. "I was also saving her from stuff like that. I mean, Haley's a very pretty girl, but she was never really popular, if you know what I mean. She was always in the library and stuff. Most girls knew not to pick on her because she was my sister and I loved her, but there were times when they would be stupid enough to say something."

"Well," Lucas laughed, smiling longingly at Brooke. "That was very nice of you to stick up for her like that. You're such an overprotective big sister. It's kinda hot."

"I don't even want to think about what school was like for her after I left," Brooke sighed, remembering how worried she had been when her and her mom had first moved to Tree Hill. "I'm sure it was a living hell. I told Lindsay to watch out for her for me, but I haven't kept in touch with her since we moved and Haley would never tell me what was going on there. She knew I would come down there and beat the hell out of whoever was doing anything to her."

"See, she knows," Lucas pointed out gently, rubbing his hand up and down her back again. "She knows that you would do anything in your power to keep her from being hurt. There's no way that she blames you for what happened. I don't believe that."

"I doesn't matter," Brooke mumbled, hating that Lucas was right. It was so much easier to believe that Haley blamed her for what happened, it made Haley's behavior make sense. "Maybe she doesn't blame me, it's still my fault."

"I think you need to talk to Haley about this," Lucas suggested carefully, not wanting her to think that he didn't want to talk about it. "You are never going to feel better about this until you talk to her. And until you feel better and get over whatever is making you feel so bad, Haley's not going to let you in. Just talk to her, open up to her, and maybe she'll do the same."

"I guess it's worth a shot." Brooke wasn't sure if talking to Haley about this was such a good idea. As she thought over how that conversation might go, she realized that it kind of sounded like she was making this about her. Haley was the one in the hospital bed with countless broken bones, and here she was asking something from her. She knew that Haley would never see it that way, but she couldn't help but notice that. "I just wish we could go back to when everything was perfect. I wish that my parents had gotten a better judge, a judge that could see that we shouldn't have been separated in the first place. Then my mom could have moved us both to Tree Hill and none of this would have happened."

"Wishing doesn't make anything better, babe, trust me," Lucas whispered, bring his hand up so he could run his fingers through her dark hair. "Almost all my life I've wished that Dan wasn't such a jackass and that he had married my mom and that we were a big happy family. But then I think if he had done that then Nathan wouldn't have been born and I wouldn't have such a great brother. Sometimes you just have to look on the bright side of things."

"You not having a father is a lot different that having a father that beats and rapes you, Lucas," Brooke snapped, not believing what Lucas was trying to say to her. She shook her head and pushed herself into a sitting position, Lucas following suite almost immediately. "There is no bright side to what happened, Lucas,"

"If you had never moved here you never would have met the gang," Lucas tried to reason with her, knowing that he never should have said anything in the first place. He was so bad at stuff like this. "You never would have met me. We wouldn't be together."

"You don't think I wouldn't trade what we have to erase everything that happened to Haley?" Brooke regretted the words as soon as they were out of her mouth. They weren't untrue, she would give her happy life in Tree Hill up in an instant if it would heal Haley, but she knew she shouldn't have said that to Lucas. The look on Luke's face told her just how much the comment had hurt. "Lucas…"

"I'm sorry," he mumbled, looking up at her with hurt but apologetic eyes. "I shouldn't have compared…"

"No, I'm sorry," Brooke told him, leaning down and giving him a soft kiss on the lips. "I shouldn't have said that. I love you, Lucas, and I love all of our friends, but you have to understand where I'm coming from here. It's Haley, you know? I would do absolutely anything for her. Anything. I don't know if I feel that way about anyone else. I'm sorry, but I feel like I should be honest to you. Especially after all the lies I've told over the past two years."

"It's okay, Brooke," he assured her, kissing her again to prove his point. "I understand. I have a little brother, too, I know where you're coming from. You've loved Haley all your life, you've only known me for two."

"But I've loved you both years," she admitted, hoping that meant at least something to him. Lucas smiled and noticed, letting her know that he felt the same. She couldn't help but smile back at him and they both leaned in for a kiss. Once she pulled away, she glanced down at her watch. "Alright, Lover Boy, it's time for me to go."

"I'm so glad you stopped by," he told her, grabbing onto her hand as she began to stand up. "I've missed you so much." She laughed and squeezed his hand before letting it go.

"What kind of a girl would I be if I didn't visit my sick boyfriend?" She winked at him and turned to saunter to the back door. "You should thank Nathan for my little visit, by the way. It was all his brilliant idea."

"I'll have to remember that." He gave her a small wave and smile and she opened the door. "I love you."

"I love you, too," she replied with a sad smile as she slipped out the door. The moment she was outside, she let out a sigh and leaned against the door, closing her eyes. "I'm just sorry I don't love you enough."

After standing there for a moment longer to gather her thoughts, Brooke pushed off the door and swallowed past the lump in her throat. She had a conversation she needed to have and if she ever wanted to make things better for her and her sister, she was going to have get over herself and make the first step since it was obvious that Haley wasn't going to.

**---OTH---**

Okay, that's all. I hope you guys liked it. I know there were a few people that wanted to see some more BL, so I did my best. I'm not the biggest BL fan, but I thought I should add a little bit in there just because I can and because Brooke does love him. I hope you guys enjoyed it and aren't still mad at me. I'm not gonna make any promises on updating really soon because that always seems to get me in trouble, so I'm just gonna say that I'm gonna update as soon as I get the chance, whenever that is. The most reviews I get, the more compelled I'll be to update though. Peace.


	40. Loose Lips Sink Ships

_Author's Note:_ Hey, guys. Just giving you a drive by update. Thanks so much for all the continuing reviews, I love them, and believe it or not, it really does help make me write quicker. Anyway, all this work near the end of the semester is piling up, so I don't know when I'll be able to update, but I do have the rest of this story planned out, and there's not that much left, maybe 5 chapters or so, maybe a couple more. Anyway, please tell me what you think.

You'll note, I used three quotes in this chapter. I don't know why.

**---OTH---**

--** There is one pain I often feel, which you will never know. It is caused by the absence of you.--**

"I can't believe he actually did that," Haley exclaimed, laughing at the story that Taylor was telling her about one of her ex-boyfriends. It seemed to be something that did a lot lately; Taylor telling her little sister a story that she knew would get some kind of laugh out of her.

"No joke," the blonde promised. She attempted to keep a straight for a moment before she broke into a smile again and the two sisters dissolved into fits of giggles, both picturing the scene playing out in their heads. Their laughter floated throughout the usually pretty quiet apartment.

Brooke felt herself cringe at the sound, finding herself fighting the urge to stomp over to them and smack some sense into both of them. She didn't understand why they insisted on doing this; it drove her crazy. She could almost understand why Haley was doing it, but she expected a lot more from her older sister.

She glared at them from her seat at the kitchen counter, a clear view into the living room were they were sitting on the couch. Just the sight of them laughing and smiling was making her sick. They shouldn't be acting like that. She didn't know how she wanted them to act, but it wasn't like that. She didn't want them to act like the past two years didn't just happen.

That was the problem, really. It had been over a month since the doctors allowed Haley to come home with Brooke and Taylor, and after an extremely short quiet period, Haley started acting like nothing was wrong, like their father hadn't done all of those horrible things to her. She seemed to slip right back into a regular routine of going to school, doing her homework, hanging out with the gang.

It wasn't that Brooke didn't want Haley to have a normal life; there was nothing that she wanted more, but this wasn't right. This wasn't the way that the process was supposed to go. Haley needed to grieve, she needed to open up and talk to someone and then hopefully she would eventually be able to accept what happened and move on. She would never be able to move on if she just pretended that it never happened. It would always be at the back of her head, nagging her for the rest of her life. Haunting her.

That was the last thing that Brooke wanted for Haley. She wanted Haley to have a normal life again; her sister deserved at least that after everything that she had survived over the past. Nobody deserved happiness more than her sister. But Haley deserved true happiness, not the fake kind that she had now. That would never last.

Brooke knew that she even begin to understand what was going through Haley's mind right now, Lord knows that Haley wasn't letting her in on what she was thinking lately, but she couldn't imagine ever doing that to herself, pretending like that. She would never be able to fake a smile like that. And she never used to think that Haley could either.

As weird as it may sound, she just wished that Haley would go back to the way she was in the hospital during the first few weeks; how she just ignored them and snapped at them. Sure she wasn't dealing with it, but she wasn't doing this, living a lie that was going to catch up with her eventually. And when it did, it was going to be so much worse that either of them could imagine. She knew it.

"Crap," Haley muttered, looking down at her watch and bringing Brooke out of her thoughts. "I'm supposed to be working tonight. I better get going if I want to make it to the Café on time."

"You're working again?" Brooke asked, speaking for the first time since she had entered the room. They had already been in the middle of one of Taylor's idiotic stories when she had entered and they had paid her no attention, much to her relief. She didn't think she could take Fake Haley in such a close proximity. She had been trying to avoid her at all costs when she was like that. "You've worked every night this week. And you haven't been sleeping. You're gonna exhaust yourself one of these days."

"Oh, Tigger," Haley laughed it off, sending Brooke a smile and patting her affectionately on her knee as she skipped by her on her way to the door. "You worry too much." She shook her head at her sister again before sending a wave in Taylor's direction and quickly walking out of the door, shutting it behind her.

"What the hell are you thinking?" Brooke demanded the moment that the front door was closed. The smile on Taylor's face immediately faded at her little sister's words, looking up at her in confusion.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she questioned her, rolling her eyes at her sister before she could even answer. She tossed the pillow that was behind her onto the other end of the couch and relaxed against the arm, reaching forward and flipping on the TV in an attempt to ignore Brooke.

"You're stupid little asinine stories," Brooke clarified, slapping the magazine down on the counter and jumping off of the stool, stalking into the living room and dropping herself onto the couch where Haley had just been sitting. "Why are you playing along with this?"

"Playing along with what, Brooke?" Taylor asked, trying to pretend that she was watching the TV and not really paying any attention to her sister, which was hard to do considering she really was interested in finding out what exactly her sister was accusing her of this time.

"Haley's little act," she spat out. Just thinking about that smile spread across her sister's lips sent chills down her spine. Not only was it fake; but it was really starting to scare her. "Her attempt to pretend that everything didn't happen." Taylor let out a snort at her sister's words.

"You're just being paranoid," Taylor informed her, decided that she would just watch the television now and ignore Brooke's ridiculous theories. Brooke watched in shock as her big sister just brushed it off and ignored her. Taylor caught the look out of the corner of her eye. "What?"

"How can you think what she's doing is okay?" Brooke asked, her eyes wide and furious that she wasn't going to get any help from Taylor on this. She was never going to be able to get through to Haley if everyone else played along with her little charade.

"What is she doing, Brooke?" Taylor asked her, sighing as she put the TV on mute so she could get the point across to her sister. "She's moving on with her life. What happened to her sucks, okay? It more than sucks, and I know that. I was there too, you know? But she can't dwell on it forever. She has to move on or she'll never have a life. I think it's great that she's handling it so well, it shows how brave she is."

"She's being a fucking coward," Brooke snapped, trying to figure out why she was the only one in their family with half a brain. Though, she supposed Haley was aware of what she was doing, and it's eventual consequences. She wasn't sure if that made her feel better or worse.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Sometimes Taylor just didn't understand what the hell went on in her little sisters' heads. She assumed the craziness was something that they got from their mother.

"She's not moving on with her life, Taylor," Brooke practically screamed, slamming her palm down on the arm of the couch to voice her frustration and anger. "The only place she's moving is backwards. She's pretending that everything is okay, like our father didn't used to beat her, that he didn't rape and kidnap her. Tell me how that's moving on?"

"Wouldn't you want to pretend that didn't happen?" Taylor asked, looking at her sister with pleading eyes, begging her to understand, to let it go. "God, can you imagine what Haley must feel when she thinks about it? I mean, think of how horrible we feel when we think about it and multiply that by like a billion." She searched Brooke's eyes for any sign that showed that she understood what she was trying to say. "I can't say that I blame her. I would do the same thing."

"Look, I get it," Brooke admitted, maybe finally starting to see why Haley would want to deal with the situation this way. "And maybe it is normal to want to pretend that it didn't happen, but it's been more than a month, Taylor. The denial stage is only supposed to be one stage, okay? And this has gone on long enough. She's never going to heal if she just pushes it back and never deals with this."

"Everyone deals in their own way," Taylor tried to tell her, hoping that she didn't plan on approaching Haley with this little speech. "Maybe this is Haley's. You don't have a right to tell her what the right way to heal is."

"I do if it's just going to end up hurting her even more in the long run," Brooke immediately defended herself. She opened her mouth to say something, but then shut it. She let out a sigh and tried again. "This is going to end up killing her, Tay. If she keeps bottling it all up and putting on this fake attitude, it's only a matter of time until it all blows up in her face."

"Brooke…"

"I'm not kidding," Brooke cut her off. "And I'm not overreacting. We share a room, remember, not to mention the weird twin vibe we've always had. This is going to destroy her if she doesn't do something quick. She has nightmares about it every night. She wakes up crying, every single night, Taylor. That doesn't sound like dealing to me."

That was the only time that Brooke could stand to be around Haley. Taylor could only afford a two-bedroom apartment at the moment, so the twins were sharing a room. So when Haley woke up every night in a sweat and crying, Brooke would just silently crawl into bed with her, and hold her as she cried. By the time that Haley calmed down, Brooke would already be asleep. Haley would just pretend that nothing happened the next morning, greeting her with a bright smile that she kept glued to her face all day until it was time for bed and they started all over again.

"Maybe you're right," Taylor finally sighed, frowning when she thought about what Brooke was saying. She hated to admit it, but Brooke did have a point. She saw Brooke about to say something and quickly continued. "But it's up to Haley to come to us, got it? If you go up to her and start accusing her of things, she's just going to push us further away."

"But, Taylor…"

"Promise you won't talk to her," Taylor told her firmly, staring at her, almost daring her to disagree with her. "Brooke, just let her deal with this. We're her big sisters, she knows that we'll be here when she needs us, when she finally cracks."

"I don't know," Brooke said, uneasily. She knew that Taylor was right, Haley would just deny it and it would only make matters worse, but she also couldn't see them getting any better if this behavior progressed. She closed her eyes, biting her lip and she weighed the two options. Letting out a deep, defeated breath, she opened her eyes and locked them with her sister's. "I promise."

**---OTH---**

Haley sighed as she washed down the counter for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Unfortunately, it had been a pretty slow night, which meant that Haley had time to think, something that she most certainly did not want to be doing. Over the past month she had been trying to avoid periods of time like this, where she was left alone with her thoughts.

She had been doing her best to pretend that nothing was wrong; even though it was so obvious that everything was wrong. She just thought that as long as she pretended that everything was okay, acted as normal as she could, everything would fix itself and the memories of the past two years of her life would just magically fall out of her.

In order for this plan to work, she needed to keep as busy as possible, to have as normal of a life as possible. So, in honor of that, the moment she was well enough, she had gotten a job at Karen's Café, volunteered to help Peyton out with a mural that she was doing at school and signing up for tutoring, which also happened to give her plenty of alone time with Nathan.

She really liked Nathan. In fact, she was positive that she just liked him more and more each time she was with him. She knew that he liked her too, and lately she had been thinking about just making a move. She needed to be a normal girl, at least pretend to be one, and what better way than to have a hot boyfriend?

She felt more than a little guilt as she thought that. That made it sound like she was using him. She didn't want to use him; she really and truly cared for him. The last thing that she would want to do is hurt him like that. But no matter how she twisted it or looked at it, it still came down to her using him and she wasn't willing to do that.

More than anything, she wanted things with her and Nathan to be perfect when they happened. She didn't know why, but she could feel it, they were meant to be together and nothing could change that. So what if they would have to be friends for a while first? She could wait, and from everything that Nathan had told her, he could wait to.

Smiling slightly to herself and made a vow not to rush things with Nathan, no matter how 'normal' it would make her feel. When her and Nathan got together, it would be after she had healed, after she had dealt with and accepted everything that happened to her and that wasn't going to be happening anytime soon.

The only problem with her plan being that she was almost positive that being with Nathan would help her to heal a lot more quickly. She could talk to him about stuff, at least she could before, she wasn't doing much talking about it lately. He was so easy to talk to and she didn't know why. She couldn't talk to Brooke about it, and again, she didn't know why. It killed her that she couldn't talk to her twin sister about what was going on in her head, but for some reason, she just couldn't do it.

She had to hand it to Brooke though, she has been handling the whole thing rather well, in Haley's opinion. She thought for sure that her sister would be hounding her to talk about it or to see someone, something to deal with her feelings. Instead Brooke just kind of backed off for the most part, only taking charge when she was needed, like when Haley woke up crying in the middle of the night. She was more thankful for Brooke's silence than anything.

She could tell that her easygoing act was driving her sister crazy, it was so obvious. At least to her it was. Brooke tried, and Haley gave her credit for that, but she knew that she was hurting Brooke with the way she was acting, but she was just thankful that Brooke was letting it go. This was just how she dealt and Brooke needed to accept that.

"You okay, Haley?" Karen asked, coming out from the kitchen and resting her hand on the small of Haley's back to get her attention when she saw that she was deep in thought. It took Haley a moment to register the older women's presence before she quickly plastered the smile on her face to greet Karen.

"Oh, I'm fine, Karen," Haley assured her, hating having to lie to her. Brooke had been right; Haley quickly learned that Karen was an amazing woman. She had only been working there for almost a month and she was already starting to think of Karen as a mother figure. She was just so sweet and caring to her, Haley couldn't help but wish that Karen had been her mother. "Just thinking."

"If you're sure?" Haley could hear the concern dripping from her mouth a mile away, but didn't say anything. Instead, she just felt the knife go in deeper. She swallowed past the lump in her throat and nodded silently. There was nothing that Karen wanted more than to press the girl for the truth, but she knew that would do nether of them any good. "Well, I'm supposed to be meeting Lucas for a late dinner. Will you be okay here for a little bit? Maybe until ten or something. I'll definitely be back before closing."

"Why don't you just head out for the night," Haley suggested with a warm smile, shooing the woman away with the dirty rag that was in her hand. She saw the protest on Karen's lips and quickly pressed on. "I've seen you do it a million times, I've got it covered. You've been working none stop lately, and besides, there's nobody here. I think I can hold down the fort."

"I don't know, Haley…"

"Trust me, Karen," Haley stated, locking eyes with Karen to plead with her. As much as she hated being alone with her thoughts, she also needed to get over her general fear of being alone. It seemed that everytime she was alone she was terrified that her father was going to come bursting in at any time.

"Urg, fine," Karen finally relented, pulling her Café keys out of her purse and dropping them into Haley's already outstretched palm. "I'm going to have my cell phone on all night." She quickly grabbed her coat and slipped her arms into it before taking a step forward and taking a hold of Haley's forearms. "I want you to call me if you need _anything_, okay, sweetie? And I expect a call when you get home to make sure that you're okay."

"Wow, Kare," Haley laughed lightly at her attitude. "You're such a … mom."

"I've been called worse before," Karen smiled, loosening her hold on Haley's arms and rubbing her hands up and down them in a comforting fashion. "You know I'm serious, right?"

"I know."

"Okay, well I better get going then." With another smile and a gentle hug, Karen quickly left that Café and took off in the direction of where she was supposed to meet Lucas.

Once she was alone, Haley let out a breath she found she had been holding a lot lately. It took some much energy to hold up the face and it just seemed to get harder each time. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts out of it, she let out a sigh and went back to washing the counter.

**--No man, for any considerable period, can wear one face to himself and another to the multitude, without finally getting bewildered as to which may be the true.--**

"The hard working youth of America," Brooke teased as she entered the Café after closing. She saw Haley's entire body freeze up at the sound of the bell above the door and she suddenly felt horrible for surprising her like that. She really should have known better. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Haley brushed it, hoping that Brooke didn't read too much into her action because it was clear that she had seen it. Closing her eyes to collect herself, Haley finally turned around and shot Brooke a bright smile. "What's going on?"

"I actually came here to talk to you about something," Brooke told her carefully, not sure if Haley would be able to read her right off the bat. She felt bad, she knew she shouldn't be there, asking questions, but she couldn't help it. She knew that she had promised Taylor she would leave it alone, but she didn't want to risk letting this go on any longer. She was never going to risk anything with Haley every again.

"Oh?" Haley asked, swallowing past the small lump that was forming in her throat. Brooke wanted to talk? And it was so important that she had to come all the way to the Café instead of just waiting at home for her? She had a feeling she knew exactly what this was about. And it wasn't going to be pretty. "What, ah, what did you want to talk to me about?"

"Here's the thing, Haley," Brooke started, desperately wishing that she had thought about this more. She thought about rehearsing what she wanted to say in the car, but she knew that if she did, Haley would be able to tell, and she didn't want Haley to feel ambushed or anything. "There's something that I've been wanting to say, and I just, I don't know how to go about it, and I just … Promise you won't get mad at me?"

"Look, Brooke, just, just say it," Haley told her in a frustrated tone. She let out a breath and leaned her palms flat out on the counter, leaning forward to give Brooke her attention. She definitely knew what this was about now, and she was not looking forward to it. She continued to try to keep her breathing under control, knowing that she was going to get upset if she didn't try to keep her emotions in check.

"Promise you won't get mad," Brooke ordered her quietly, suddenly finding her slightly younger sister intimidating. For a split second, she thought about just forgetting this whole thing and letting things run their course, but she quickly dropped that thought. The last time she had 'let things run their course' because she hoped they would get better, her father raped her sister.

"I'm not promising anything, Brooke," Haley told her. Who was she kidding? Haley knew what Brooke was going to say to her, and she also knew that even if she tried to hold it in, ignore it like she did everything else, she wasn't just going to be mad, she'd probably be infuriated. "Just spit it out."

"Okay," Brooke breathed, not surprised that Haley was already getting pissy about it. She should have known that she was going to figure out what this was about right off the bat. "I just think that," she paused and tried to think of something better to say. After a moment, she just decided to put it out there. "I don't think that you're dealing with everything the right way. Actually, I don't think you're dealing with it at all."

"Well, we're all entitled to our own thoughts," Haley said calmly, sending Brooke a tight smile and moving around the counter towards the door. Brooke sat on the stool in confusion, twisting around to watch her sister. That was not the reaction that she had expected.

"That's it?" Brooke questioned, hoping that Haley wasn't going to start ignoring her again like she had before. She didn't know what was worse; Haley talking to everyone and acting like nothing happened or her shutting herself off from everyone and not talking about it. "That's all you have to say to me?"

"What do you want me to say, Brooke?" Haley snapped, losing it for a moment. She realized her slip up a second two late and quickly averted her gaze from her sister's and turned back to the door, flipping the sign so it said closed. "I guess I just don't see where you're coming from."

"You aren't dealing with what happened, Hales," Brooke told her, deciding that if she was going to ruin their relationship with this, than she wasn't going to draw it out. There was no mistaking the venom that could be heard in Haley's voice when she had snap at her, and Brooke had a feeling that was just the tip of the iceberg where Haley's rage was concerned.

"How do you figure?" Haley couldn't help it, she was going to get dragged into this argument whether she wanted to or not, and she most certainly did not. She just wanted Brooke to leave her alone and let her live the way that she wanted to live, have a normal life. "Because I'm not huddled in a corner crying about it? Well, sorry to break it to you, but that's not the kind of life that I want."

"I'm not saying that you have to lock yourself away," Brooke argued, stepping off of the stool and pace when Haley started stacking the chairs on top of the tables. "I don't want that for you either. I'm just saying that can't just pretend that the past two years didn't happen."

"Why not?" Haley asked, stacking the chairs more roughly as she got more pissed off. After putting the last one up at the table she was standing at, she turned towards where Brooke was pacing to see what she had to say for herself. "Why can't I just close that part of my life and move on? Why would you want me to have to think about all the horrible stuff that Dad did to me?"

"Of course I don't want that, baby," Brooke assured her, taking a step towards her sister, which just cause Haley to go back to stacking the chairs. Brooke tried to suppress the hurt look from flashing across her face. "I do want you to be able to move on from all of this…"

"Then what the hell is your problem?"

"You can't move on until you've dealt with it," Brooke finally got out, glaring at Haley because she knew what Haley was going to say next. She didn't want to have this argument with her sister, she didn't want to have any argument with her, but of course, like she had told herself over and over again, she couldn't just let Haley continue to slip away from her like this.

"What do you think I'm doing?" Haley asked, stopping mid movement to glare at Brooke. She felt her hands tighten around the chair leg as the anger and hurt coarse through her body. She hated Brooke for bringing this up, and she hated herself because she knew that Brooke was right, but she was never going to admit it. It was easier this way. "I've dealing with it. I'm sorry that it's not the way that you want me to be dealing with it, but it's the way that I want to deal with it. Just leave me alone."

"I'm not going to leave you alone, Hales," Brooke told her; even though she had a feeling that it was a bad idea. Deciding that Haley wasn't going to throw the chair at her, no matter how angry she go, Brooke took a couple steps forward. "I love you. I love you too much to just watch you do this to yourself."

"I'm not doing anything to myself!" Haley screamed, letting her rage get the best of her, as she smacked her hand against the two chairs she had just stacked, causing them both to fly off the table and tumble to the ground. Brooke jumped at the sudden noise and action, but wasn't going to back down. And Haley knew that.

"Baby…"

"No!" Haley screamed, taking a step forward as well. Her eyes were narrowed and Brooke didn't think she had ever seen her twin look so angry before, especially not with her. "No, Brooke, you don't get to tell me how to feel! You've been telling me how to feel and what to do my entire life, and I'm sick of it!"

"I have never told you how to feel," Brooke tried to argue, but she knew it was weak. She felt her heart break slightly at the empty laughter that came out of Haley's mouth at her statement.

"Bullshit, you haven't!" Haley just wanted all of this to go away. Brooke was ruining everything. "And that doesn't matter. All that matters is that you have no idea what I've been through for the best two years! You've only had to deal with all of this for a month, and you think you have some kind of degree with all of this!" Haley paused, closing her eyes for a moment to regain her composure. It was way too late for that, she soon learned.

"It hurts, Brooke," Haley told her sister, her voice a lot softer than it had been just moments before. "It hurt more than you can ever imagine. You have no idea what I've been through the last couple of years. The things I told you on the phone? That wasn't even the half of it. I never told you all of the stuff that he did to me, I was always so worried that you'd go up there and get yourself hurt, so I hid the worst stuff from you."

"I didn't know," was the only thing that Brooke could manage to say. She felt her entire insides contract when she thought about what her father could have possibly have done to her if the stuff she had heard was the 'nice' stuff. She had to bring her hand up to her mouth for a second to keep herself from vomiting as she thought about it.

"Exactly," Haley told her, her voice becoming harsh again as the moment passed. She couldn't get soft like that because she knew that Brooke would seize it and there would be no fighting back. And she wouldn't let that happen. She wasn't going to play into Brooke's game. "You don't know anything about it, except for what you've seen, and even that isn't much. You still don't know what it felt like to have your own father beating you until you couldn't see straight."

"No, I don't," Brooke admitted, chocking back the tears as all the memories of that night coming back to her. She had tried to best not to think about it, not to remember the way that her baby sister looked when she found her lying beaten to an inch of her life on the grass. "But I do know what it feels like to think that the person I love the most in the whole world might be dead. And what it feels like to see that person completely broken right in front of me." Brooke wiped the tears away roughly with the sleeve of her shirt. "Yeah, I don't know what it feels like to go through what you went through, but you don't know what I went through either. You have no idea what I would have given to switch places with you, to take even a little bit of the pain away."

"But you can't," Haley told her, way too much regret in her or Brooke's liking. As much as she hated herself for even thinking it, there was a time that she had wished that Brooke could feel some of the pain that she felt too. Maybe she even still felt that way. "You can't take any of it away. I'm not saying that all of this didn't hurt you too, because Lord knows that if I had to watch you go through everything that I went through, it would have killed me too, but… You can't tell me how to deal with this, Brooke, you can't understand it."

"Then maybe you need to talk to someone that can," Brooke suggested carefully, knowing that this was going to be what set Haley off. Brooke didn't think that Haley was going to get so angry over what she had said before, so she could only imagine what was going to happen now.

"What?" Haley asked. Even though she knew exactly what her sister was suggesting, she couldn't believe that she would say it. She knew that Brooke had been thinking it since forever, but she never actually thought Brooke would suggest it. She had to know what Haley would do if she did.

"I think you should maybe start seeing someone," Brooke told her again, her voice strong and not wavering against the death glare that Haley was shooting her way at the moment. "Someone that can help you deal with all of this."

"I'm dealing with it all just fine," Haley snapped at her, shaking her head unbelievingly before turning around and picking up the chairs she had knocked down and put them back on the table they were on before. "I don't need to see some person to talk about all of this. I'm not some head case!"

"Nobody's saying you are," Brooke quickly assured her, stepping forward and attempting to grab a hold of Haley's arms, only to be shrugged off. "I really think this will help you deal with this. I mean _really_ deal with this."

"I am _really_ dealing with this," Haley defended herself. Suddenly feeling the need to have the most space between her and Brooke as possible, she began stacking the chairs that she hadn't gotten to yet. "Look, I know that you're just pissy that I'm not talking to you about this, but it's nothing personal, Brooke. It's just because there's nothing to say. It happened, I survived, Dad's locked up. I can move on."

"It's not that simple," Brooke stated, trying her best to keep her cool. It was so hard not to just blow up at her sister when she acted like this, which wasn't very often. "What happened to you is something you can't just forget…"

"I haven't forgotten it, Brooke!" Haley bellowed, slamming the chair down on the ground causing Brooke to jump again. Well, Brooke wanted Haley to stop acting like Mary Sunshine, and it looks like she got it. Ten fold. "I could never forget what I've been through. I can still feel every punch, every kick. I could take off all my clothes and tell you what every single scar on my body is from." Haley thought about proving her point by doing just that, but decided that she wouldn't be able to hold back the tears if she did that, and she didn't want to cry. "I think about it all the time. Everytime a door opens, no matter where I am, I think it's Dad. And you know I have nightmares about it every night. So don't you dare accusing me of forgetting about it."

"Well, you sure as hell act like you've forgotten about it," Brooke counted, deciding that if she was going to get through to Haley, she was going to have to start screaming right back at her.

"Maybe because it's easy that way," Haley told her, letting out a choked sob that made her whole body hurt. She didn't know why she even bothered trying to halt the tears in the first place, she knew that they would eventually win out, they always, did after all. "I'm sorry if I don't want to be the pity case of Tree Hill for you. I'm not going to mope around like you. What good does that do anyone? Does it make you feel any better? All it's doing is making people pity you and it's pushing Lucas away too. I don't want people's pity and I don't want to push anyone away either. Most certainly not Nathan."

"Well you're pushing me away, Haley," Brooke admitted in the smallest voice she could muster, almost afraid to say the words. The look of rage that Haley had in her eyes just moments before completely disappeared when she heard Brooke's words.

"So, so what," Haley began, her eyes starting to water at the very thought of not having Brooke with her for the rest of her life. She may not be showing it at the moment, but she would do just about anything to keep Brooke at her side. She would have completely fallen apart years ago if it hadn't been for her twin sister. "Just, just because you don't like the way, the way I'm dealing, you're just going to bail on me? Or is that a threat?"

"It's not a threat," Brooke promised, her voice calm and rational. She was through begging. She was just going to have to tell Haley flat out the way that it is and the way that it was going to be if she didn't get her act together. "I know that you're confused, and that you're trying to be strong and to move on, but I promise you, Haley, this is going to blow up in your face. You need to deal with this, _really and truly_ deal with this if you ever want to have a normal life. You need to talk about it with someone, someone that isn't me or Nathan or Taylor. You need to talk with them, work out all of your bottled up emotions, let them all out before you snap and do something stupid."

"I told you already…"

"You're not dealing, Haley," Brooke told her, not gentle but not kindly either. Haley couldn't take it; it was like Brooke was talking to a completely stranger. She was acting so cold and detached all of a sudden. "You're running away from it. I know it, and even if you don't want to admit it, I know that you know it, too. You're running away from what happened instead of dealing with the problem and moving on, and eventually it's gonna come back to get you, just like it did before. But this time it might just destroy you. And I can't stand by and watch that happen, baby, I can't."

"Then don't," Haley told her, her voice cold again. She didn't know what happened, but for a second she had actually considered listening to Brooke, but the threat just got her defensive again. "If you don't like the way that I'm living my life, you don't have to be a part of it."

"You don't mean that," Brooke told her, her tough love composure crumbling almost immediately. "And you know that's not what I meant. There is nothing in the world that could make me leave you. Nothing. I'm just saying that I can't stand by in silence anymore and watch someone I love as much as I love you do this to themselves. It kills me because I know it's just going to hurt you more in the long run."

"You don't know that," Haley tried to protest, despite the fact that she knew Brooke was right. She knew the moment she started this whole act that it was just going to blow up in her face, but that would happen later. All that matter to her right now was making the pain stop. She would deal with the consequences when they presented themselves.

"I do, and you do too," Brooke promised her, her voice calm again, but not so emotionless as before. "You wake up every night crying because of all of this. I see the way you freeze everytime you hear a door open, or the way you flinch whenever Nathan touches you. Even if it's just for a second, it's still there and until you get some help from someone that's qualified to help you, it's always gonna be there."

"I don't flinch," Haley argued weakly, again knowing it was true. She hated herself for doing it and she was almost positive that Nathan noticed it as well, and that it hurt him, but she just couldn't help it. Unless it was Brooke, Haley always seemed to flinch at the first touch. She would relax after she saw who it was, but it was still there. She saw the look in Brooke's eyes and she could tell that Brooke wasn't going to buy any of her denials. She bowed her head. "I don't mean to flinch."

"I know you don't, baby," Brooke assured her, taking the opportunity to step forward finally, and bring her little sister into her arms for a much needed hug. She was surprised when she felt Haley wrap her arms around her too and bury her head in her shoulder. "I know you don't mean to do it, and Nathan knows that too, he understands." She brought her hand up and ran it through Haley's hair in an attempt to sooth her as she whispered more reassurances into her ear.

"Why can't I just let myself go with him?" Haley asked, her question muffled somewhat by the fabric of Brooke's shirt. Brooke pulled back slightly so she could hear Haley better. "Why can't I just be with him, Tigger? I want to be with him. I mean, I think, I think I love him."

"I think you do, too," Brooke smiled sadly at her, closing her eyes and she reached forward and gently kissed her forehead. "You just aren't ready, baby, and that's not your fault. Not at all." She pulled Haley against her again, kissing her hair one more time, and rubbing her hands up and down her back to calm her. "After everything you've been through, it's completely understandable that you would have trouble letting people in for real."

"Thanks, Tigger," Haley sniffled, closing her eyes tight as the tears started to spill over. She couldn't understand why her sister was being so nice and patient with her when she had been nothing but a brat.

"No problem, sweetie," Brooke promised. She was so glad that she was able to get Haley to open up finally. She had been scared for a bit there that she had completely blown it and pushed her sister further away like Taylor had predicted. She was so happy she could burst. For the first time in what felt like forever, things were looking up. "You just have a lot of problems to work through."

Haley stiffened immediately Brooke's words and the tone in her voice when she said it. She stood in the hug for a moment longer, running the words through her mind before she pulled back from Brooke to get a good look at the slightly older brunette.

"Excuse me?" Brooke looked at her in confusion, not sure what had just happened. She blinked a few times and searched Haley's eyes for any kind of answer she could find.

"No, baby, I didn't mean…" Brooke tried desperately, wishing more than anything to take the words back, to fix the perfect moment they just had.

"Then what did you mean?" She could practically see Brooke scrambling to think of the right answer to give her. Of course, what she said didn't much matter, considering Haley already knew exactly what Brooke had meant by her statement.

"I just meant…" Brooke attempted, feeling her composer crumble. What had she been thinking when she said that? She should have known how Haley would take it. Things were going so well, and now she had blown it. "It's just you have all of these issues…"

"Issues?" Haley repeated, incredulously. She stepped completely out of Brooke's arms, harshly swatting away her sister's attempt to bring her back into a hug. "No, no, Brooke. You can't just… So, what? Now I have problems? I have issues?"

"No, baby…"

"I do not have _issues_," Haley hissed, glaring daggers at Brooke as she repeated her sister's words. "And I don't have problems, and I don't need to go see some shrink who doesn't know anything about me! I am not crazy!"

"I don't think you're crazy." Brooke could see everything falling apart in front of her. Things were perfect; she had gotten through to Haley, eased her into opening up, and got her to understand. Now, it was all gone down the drain because of one stupid off the cuff remark.

"Well, you clearly think there's something wrong with me," Haley spat at her, as hot, angry tears rolled down her already tear stained cheeks. She should have seen it the moment Brooke mentioned seeing someone. It wasn't for her own good, something that could help her. It was because Brooke thought that she _needed_ it, she was crazy. "I can't believe that I thought you wanted to help me."

"I do want to help you, baby," Brooke told her forcefully, her tone leaving absolutely no room for argument. "There is nothing I want to do more than to help you."

"Just as long as you don't have to listen to me, right?" Haley didn't give Brooke a chance to answer. Haley was well aware of the fact that she was being completely irrational, but she just had trouble trusting anything nowadays. She never thought Brooke would do anything against her best interests, and if she really stopped all of the stupid thoughts swirling around, she _knew_ that Brooke would never do such a thing. It didn't matter, though. Her mind had been slowing cracking for months now.

"Baby…"

"Save it, Brooke," Haley stopped her, shaking her head and backing away towards the door. Brooke watched in alarm as Haley started moving towards the door, her body starting to tremble. She could tell by the look in her eyes that Haley had officially lost it. "I don't need you, and I certainly don't need you're pity for my _problems_. I'm not seeing so shrink because I'm not crazy, I'm not some crack head that needs to be on meds or suicide watch or whatever the hell you think it is that I need."

"You need…"

"To deal?" Haley finished for her with a bitter laugh. "Like I've been saying this whole time; I'm dealing. It's not the way you want me to, but guess what, _baby_?" she mocked. "You can't always get what you want. I didn't want to be raped by my father and well, we both know how well that wish came true."

"Stop it," Brooke pleaded with her, not being able to take the cold tone in her voice as she talked about what happened to her. The emptiness in Haley's voice was enough to send chills down Brooke's spine; it was enough to break her heart and bring tears to her eyes again.

"I don't need any _help_, Brooke," Haley stated, making sure not to show Brooke just how effected she was by her tears. She didn't like hurting her sister like this, but she couldn't stop herself; she had already been slipping, and Brooke just gave her that last push that she needed to go off the edge. "And I sure as hell don't want it. I'm doing just fine. I'll show you, Brooke, I'm just like everyone else. What happened to me? That doesn't define me, it doesn't change who I am, and I'll be damned if you try to make it." With one last shake of her head, Haley grabbed for the door handle and pushed it open. "You know, it feels so good to know that I always have your support, _Tigger_."

Brooke watched helpless as Haley's shaking body walked out the door and into the freezing cold. She wanted more than anything to chase after her, but she knew there was no point. She had blown it, and she wasn't sure if she'd be able to fix it. At least not until Haley got a nice big douse of reality. She just hoped that when it happened, Haley would let her help.

**-- She hated the 'life is too short' rationalization. She thought it was one of the lamer excuses in the history of excuse making. Whenever you did something because 'life is too short not to', you could be sure life would be just long enough to punish you for it--**

Haley banged furiously on the front door, waiting impatiently for it to be answered. She wiped the few remaining tears away roughly, not wanting him to know that she had been crying. He would never go through with it if he could tell that she was upset.

She was still reeling from her blow up with Brooke, and after practically running there in the freezing cold as she fought back her tears, she was desperate for the door to be answered. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the door opened, revealing a very confused Nathan.

"Haley?" he asked, having just woken up from his usual nap after playing basketball with his brother and the guys at the Rivercourt. It took him a moment to realize what time it was and how strange it was for Haley to there at that hour, and by the looks of it, had walked there. He took a step forward in concern. "What are you…"

Before he could finish his sentence, he was attacked by her lips in a rough kiss that nearly knocked him backwards. He could feel her wrap her arms around his neck, trying to get maximum contact. It took him a moment to regain his thoughts and he pulled away, but didn't remove his arms from where they had found themselves around her middle.

"What are you doing?" he asked, searching her big brown eyes for any sign of hesitance or even intoxicates. He didn't know what happened, but he could tell that something did because he could never imagine Haley coming over at this time of night and randomly attacking him like she was without a reason.

"I'm dealing," she told him, her voice husky. She knew that he was going to say something else, and if she wanted him in on this, she was going to have to start working her magic fast. She assaulted him with kisses again; dropping her feet back on the ground and having him bend down to kiss her. She could feel him relax into the kiss and she couldn't believe how amazing it felt.

She brought her hands up to her deliciously muscular stomach, running her hands over his abs, making him waver ever so slightly. Feeling his reaction, she knew that he wasn't going to be making anymore protests, so she kicked the door closed with her foot and pushed him further into his apartment, towards his bedroom.

Pushing him onto the bed, she carefully crawled on top of him, straddling his waist as he looked up at her with nothing but love in his eyes. The look froze her in her spot for a moment, sending a shiver down her spine before she shook it off. She quickly pulled off her shirt, trying her bet for ignore all of the bruises and scars that she knew were still there, and bent down to give him the first of many lingering kisses on his lips.

What better way to prove she was a normal girl than to do something she'll regret?

**---OTH---**

That's it. I had it all planned out in my head, but it didn't really turn out the way I wanted it to, but oh well. Close enough. Hope you enjoyed and you'll review to tell me how evil I am. Peace.


	41. Cradle Your Head In Your Hands

_Author's Note_: Wow. I'm sorry, there's nothing else I can say. I've been so uberly busy and I just haven't been able to update this. I've had half the chapter written for awhile now and I just couldn't bring myself to write, but it's finished now. It's horrible, but it's something, right. Anyway, I have the last few chapters planned out and then this baby is done. I hope you guys enjoy and please, please review, because it does make me want to update. Thanks.

Also, a few people have asked about the quotes that I use. I get them all from the internet. Well, I've made up a few of them, and you'll be able to tell because those ones suck. I'm glad you all like the quotes.

**--- OTH ---**

The room was a blur to Nathan as he slowly began to open his eyes. It didn't take him long to notice that it was still the middle of the night, judging by the darkness he could see through the bedroom window. He could hear the rain hitting against the glass and he wondered when it had starting raining. He stretched slightly and it only took him a moment to remember everything that had happened earlier.

This was the second time he had woken up that night. Though this time there wasn't a loud banging at the door and he didn't imagine there would be sex, not like the last time he had gotten up.

Haley hadn't said anything the whole time, not after that one sentence. Nathan had tried getting some kind of explanation from her, but she wouldn't say anything, just continued her actions. If Nathan's brain had been functioning on any kind of intelligent level, he may have stopped them for going too far, but his had won over his head, and they had slept together.

A smile came to his face as he remembered the night's events. Something that he had wanted for a month, but never thought would happen, had come true. He was in love with Haley, he was sure, and he was so happy and relieved that Haley seemed to share those feelings.

With his smile getting bigger and brighter as those wonderful thoughts floated through his head, Nathan rolled over to see if Haley was awake so they could finally talk about all the things that needed to be discussed between them. His face fell when he saw that the bed was empty.

He quickly scrambled into a sitting position and turned on the lamp beside him. He looked around the room for any sign of the beautiful brunette, but there was nothing. All the clothes that had been scattered around the room were gone, and so were the shoes she had kicked off in their frenzy. Haley was gone.

He frantically pulled on some boxers and jumped out of bed to check the rest of his apartment. His bare feet padded into the kitchen and he wasn't surprised to find it was empty as well. Just when he was about to head back into his room to get dressed, a piece of paper on his kitchen counter caught his eye.

He looked around again for anything else before slowly walking over to the island and picking it up. He closed his eyes for a moment, afraid of what might be written on it before he finally let out a breath and read the three simple words that were written in Haley's delicate handwriting. He felt his stomach drop to his feet.

He flashed back to the way Haley looked while she was laying underneath him. More specifically, the look in her eyes. While he had mistaken the look for pleasure at the time, he saw it as empty now, devoid of any emotion.

He closed his eyes again as a rush of nausea washed over him. He held them shut tightly for a moment, silently willing everything away, before he opened them again and reread the words written in front of him.

_I'm so sorry._

**-- People so seldom say I love you And then it's either too late or love goes. So when I tell you I love you, It doesn't mean I know you'll never go, Only that I wish you didn't have to --**

Brooke groaned loudly in her sleep, only aware of the loud banging subconsciously. She shifted around on the couch and buried her face in her pillow, praying the noise would just leave her be so she could sleep.

"Jesus Christ," Taylor cursed as she stormed out of her bedroom, pulled the string of her robe closed as she walked. She smacked her sleeping sister on the head to wake her up as she passed the couch. "I'm coming, I'm coming."

"What the fuck, Tay?" Brooke mumbled as she came to, rubbing her head. The memories of the night immediately came flooding back to her and she moaned, wiping the sleep from her eyes. The knocking wasn't helping her at all.

"Dude, it's two in the morning …" Taylor began to yell as she opened the door. The words died on her lips when she saw a panicked and soaked Nathan standing on the other side. "Nathan, what are you…"

"Where's Haley?" he questioned, pushing into the apartment to look for her. She wasn't anywhere in sight and he turned back towards the blonde. "Is Haley here? I really need to talk to her."

"Nathan, I…"

"What about Haley?" Brooke asked, slowly getting off the couch and walking towards the crazy young boy. She glanced at her watch and released that she must have fallen asleep while she had been waiting up for Haley to come home. She followed after Nathan in confusion as he went to check their bedroom. It was empty. "Nathan, Haley's not here. What's going on?"

Nathan couldn't find the word. He opened his mouth to attempt to explain, only to close it just as quickly when nothing came out. Not knowing what he could say, Nathan reached into his pocket and shoved the paper into Brooke's hands. The brunette read it over quickly before looking up at him with fear in her eyes. She locked eyes with Nathan as she absently passed it to Taylor.

"What did you do?" Brooke could feel the bile rising in her throat as she thought about all the different things that Haley's little note could possibly mean. Not a single one of her made up scenarios were good.

"Brooke," Taylor whispered after reading the note. She tugged on Brooke's arm to get her attention. "Come on, you don't know that…"

"We slept together," Nathan confessed, his voice wavered but his gaze didn't. He swallowed, his throat suddenly feeling extremely dry. "She came over while I was asleep. I opened the door and she just attacked me. I didn't know what was going on. We just…"

"Had sex," Brooke finished for him, her eyes boring a hole through him. He glanced away and she looked at the note again. "Where is she?"

"I woke up and she was gone," he told her. "She took all her clothes and left that note." Brooke felt her stomach and heart contract as a bunch of new horrible images flashed through her mind. Haley could be anywhere, and Brooke knew she had to be going crazy.

"We have to find her," Brooke declared as if the other two didn't already know that.

"Great idea," Taylor snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "Just where exactly do you intend to find her? It's dark as hell outside and it's pouring rain. And she could be anywhere."

"Well, we can't just leave her out there!" Brooke shouted, crumpling up Haley's note. She shook her head and tried to gather her thoughts. Taylor really did have good points, but it didn't matter, not when Haley was out there all alone.

"She'll come home when she's ready," the blonde reasoned with her. Brooke scoffed and shook her head. Taylor had no idea what she was talking about. It was so obvious that she didn't know her little sister the way Brooke knew her. Haley was not going to come to them; they needed to go to her.

"She's not gonna come home!" Brooke told her. She stared her sister down for a moment before letting out a frustrated breath and storming into her room to get dressed. She wasn't surprised when she heard Taylor following her.

"Brooke, you're not going out there," Taylor told her, grabbing the sweater out of Brooke's hands and shoving it back in the younger girl's dresser.

"I'm going to find Haley," Brooke shouted back, pulling the sweater back out and pulling it over her head. She pushed passed Taylor and back into the living room, the blonde hot on her trail.

"Brooke…"

"I don't give a shit if it's dark or raining or if it takes me all night to find her, I'm going out there," Brooke stated, staring her sister down, but leaving absolutely no room for argument. "She's my sister…"

"Fuck you, Brooke," Taylor snapped. "She's my sister, too. Don't you dare make this about that shit right now. This has nothing to do with who loves her more or who knows her better or what the fuck ever. The fact of the matter is; it's dark, and raining and it's too dangerous to go out there!"

"Which is why I need to find Haley!" Brooke shouted back. She was just barely able to control herself from pushing her older sister. She could feel Nathan's eyes on her back and she imagined he was going just as crazy as she was. She saw Taylor about to open her mouth and she took a step forward. "No, Taylor. I'm going, and there's nothing you can say that's going to stop me. Haley is alone out there, and probably completely freaking out. There's no saying what she'll do."

"Why are you so…" Taylor began, but trailed off when she noticed that Brooke wouldn't meet her gaze anymore. She understood why Brooke wanted to go out and look for Haley, considering what it was like outside, but she didn't get why Brooke was so worried about her. The way she was talking made it seem like Haley was going to do something stupid. It didn't make sense at first until she remembered the conversation she had with Brooke earlier that day. "You didn't…"

"I had to, okay?" Brooke finally admitting, waiting for the lashing she knew was coming. She closed her eyes and prepared herself for the scolding that only a big sister could dish out, and was surprised when nothing came.

"Oh, Brooke," Taylor sighed, stepping back a few feet and slowly sitting herself down on the couch. She needed a moment to process the information. Suddenly, it all made sense; Haley sleeping with Nathan, Haley running out afterwards, Brooke freaking out now. "How could you be stupid?"

"I just wanted to help her," Brooke spoke, the venom and defensiveness leaving her voice now that she was finally seeing the error of her ways. "You know me, Tay, you know how I get when it comes to Haley. I know we're twins, but I've always seen her as my little sister, and I always just want to protect her, and help her and make everything better, you know?"

"Believe me, I know," Taylor nodded, still trying to wrap her head around the events of the evening. It was all taking her by surprise. Everything had been so quiet and peaceful all month and then all of a sudden everything was out of control again. "I am a big sister too, remember?"

"But it's differ…" Brooke began to say, but stopped the moment she saw Taylor's head snap up to glare at her. She immediately shut her mouth and swallowed the words. She really needed to get the whole idea out of her head because she knew she was really starting to piss people off with her whole 'I love Haley more than you so I'm right and you're wrong' attitude. She could see why. "It doesn't matter now, what's done is done."

"It looks like it," Taylor agreed. She took a breath before pushing herself back to her feet. She shook away the thoughts that were swirling around her head and looked at Brooke for their next course of action. She was the big sister, but when it came to stuff like this, she figured it would be best to let Brooke handle the situation. She had much more experience with it, and as much as she hated to admit it, the other girl knew how Haley's mind worked better than she did. "Okay, so, what's the plan?"

"You're gonna let me go?"

"Like I could stop you." Brooke nodded her head at her words and ignored Nathan when she heard him scoff behind her. She had forgotten all about him. "I may not know much about Haley when it comes to how she deals with this kind of … stuff, but I can only imagine what she's thinking right now, and I don't think it's a good idea to leave her alone."

"Okay, okay," Brooke began, letting the plan start to form in her head. She drummed her fingers against her thigh as she tried to get a clear thought. All she could think about at the moment was the look on Haley's face when she stormed out of the café and what she must be thinking right now. "Where do you think she'd go?"

"You know her best, Brooke," Taylor reminded her, holding up her hands in a helpless manor. Brooke growled and turned around to face Nathan, hoping that maybe he'd have an idea as where they could at least start looking for her sister.

"Nate?"

"I don't know," he told her weakly. The whole time they had been arguing, he had been racking his brain for places that Haley might have gone, but he couldn't think of anything. He thought of all the talks they had had over the past months, hoping that he'd remember some place that she might have mentioned, but there was nothing. "I can't think of any place special…"

"She's probably not evening thinking like that," Brooke reasoned, wishing she could believe her words. She looked between the two, finally deciding just to start barking orders. They weren't helping at all just standing there. "Okay. Taylor, you stay here and call anyone you can think of that she might have gone to; Peyton, Lucas, Karen, anyone, got it?"

"I think I can handle that," Taylor nodded, a bit of sarcasm slipping into her voice. The last thing she wanted to do was sit around the apartment feeling useless, waiting for the phone to ring.

"I don't have time for your attitude, Taylor," Brooke snapped, knowing what her sister was saying immediately. Taylor backed off right away, choosing not to say anything in return. "Just do it."

"Alright, alright." With that, Taylor made her way back into Brooke and Haley's bedroom, hoping she'd be able to find some kind of phonebook to get some numbers from. Other than the three people Brooke used for examples, Taylor was having trouble thinking of anyone else she could call.

"I'm coming with you," Nathan stated when she turned to him; not giving her a chance to tell him what he was going to be doing. He wasn't afraid of Brooke, and he didn't care what she told him to do, he was going to help find Haley.

"Nathan," she sighed, knowing there was no point in arguing with him. She had planned on bringing Nathan with her in the first place, but seeing the determination in his eyes, she knew that this was going to be a long night.

"No, Brooke, I'm coming," he stated again, not backing down at all. He didn't care what Brooke said to him, there was no way he could just sit around like Taylor and what for some news. Part of this was his fault and he was going to do everything in his power to make it better.

"I wasn't going to suggest otherwise," she told him, a sad smile gracing her lips. He was in love with her sister, there was no doubt about that, and while that would normally be something to be happy about, this whole situation just made her feel incredibly sad for the both of them, especially now, after what had happened tonight.

As hard as it was to imagine at times in the past month, she really did believe that Haley could get through this and then her and Nathan could finally be together, with no drama between them. Haley had been through more than anyone should ever have to go through, all before her eighteenth birthday, and Brooke thought that she deserved to be happy, and she knew that happiness could only be found with Nathan.

Now though, it looked like things might just be ruined beyond repair, at least for the immediate future, and it was all her fault. If she had just listened to Taylor when she told her to leave Haley alone, none of this would have happened. She wouldn't have pushed Haley into proving something with Nathan, and everything wouldn't be completely fucked like they were at the moment.

"Okay," she breathed, running a shaky hand through her hair. She could feel her anger starting to roll through her body and try as she might; she wasn't able to place its origins. She wasn't sure if she was mad at herself, or at Haley. She shook her head, having no desire to entertain that train of thought. "Let's go, Casanova."

"Where are we going?" Nathan asked as Brooke grabbed him by the collar of his jacket and pulled him in the direction of the door. They stopped only long enough for Brooke to throw on a jacket and shoes before they were out the door and jogging towards Nathan's SUV. Once they were inside the dry haven, both brunettes shook the water out of their hair and quickly pulled on their seatbelts.

"Do you have your cell?" Nathan nodded mutely and reached into the back and grabbed the device, handing it to Brooke. She could feel Nathan's eyes on her as she dialed rapidly. She put the phone to her ear and looked at him expectantly. "Drive."

"Where…"

"Just drive!" she shouted at him. He didn't waste any time shifting the truck into drive and peeling out of the apartment parking lot.

"No need to be such a bitch," he mumbled under his breath. It was times like these that he hated Brooke, and normally he would have be yelling back, but he was too worried about Haley to deal with Brooke's attitude. Neither of them would admit it, but they had the same kind of personality, which is why they always had such a hard time getting along.

"What was that?" Brooke asked even though she knew exactly what he had said. Nathan just shook his head and kept his mouth shut, redirecting his eyes back to the road. Brooke glared at him for a moment longer before turning to look out the window as she waited for something to pick up.

"Hello?" a voice finally came through after what felt like a million rings, but was only 3 in reality. Brooke let out a sigh of slight relief when she noticed that Carol didn't sound like she had just woken up.

"Carol," she greeted, her relief slipping into her voice. She didn't know why she was letting herself get excited or less worried, considering she hadn't even found any sort of lead in Haley's whereabouts just yet. "It's Brooke. Is Haley there by any chance?"

"Brooke, thank God," Carol sighed into the phone. She glanced over her shoulder to where Haley was sitting on the couch in tears and quickly left the room and wandered into the kitchen so Haley wouldn't hear her. "Haley's here with me. She came banging on the door an hour ago, soaking wet and in tears. She took a cab up."

"But she's there?" Brooke questioned, not letting herself believe it just yet. She glanced at Nathan beside her and saw him smile ever so slightly at her words.

"She's here," Carol promised her, leaning against the wall behind her. "She's a wreck, Brooke. She refuses to tell me what happened, she won't let me hold her, and she went ballistic when I suggest that I call you."

"I don't think I'm Haley's favorite person in the world right now," Brooke explained sadly even though she didn't think it was necessary. "But that doesn't matter right now."

"She's okay, Brooke," Carol told her softly, knowing how worried Brooke must be. She thought about asking what happened, but decided that it would be best if she waited until she got there, and they would have the conversation in person. That why she could sit both twins down and hopefully she could help work everything out. "I promise."

"Okay. Okay," Brooke breathed, slumping down in her seat and letting her heart beat get back to a normal speed. "Okay. Thank you so much, Carol, for everything."

"I love Haley," Carol assured her, waving off her words. "I'll do anything to make sure she's okay, it's not a trouble at all. I'm just glad that she came here instead of doing something stupid."

"You and me both," Brooke told her. She closed her eyes for a moment, all the horrible images she thought of earlier coming to mind. She was thankful that Haley was at Carol's because things could have turned out a lot worse. "Me and Nathan are on our way. We should be there in like an hour, okay? Just keep Haley there and we'll be there soon."

"You got it," the older woman nodded though Brooke couldn't see her. She could tell that Brooke was still worried about her sister. "She's fine, Brooke. A little upset, but other than that, she's fine. Stop worrying."

"Okay, thanks. We'll see you soon." Brooke didn't wait for a reply as she shut Nathan's cell for a moment before flipping it open again and dialing another number. This time, the phone barely got through the first ring before being picked up.

"Brooke?" Taylor's concerned voice came fluttering through the phone. Brooke laughed sadly at her sister's concern, remembering feeling that worried just moments before. "Where are you? You guys just left."

"We're on our way to Dad's," Brooke informed her, practically spitting her father's name. She smiled sadly when she felt Nathan give her knee a supportive squeeze in an attempt to calm her down. "I just called Carol and she said that Haley's there, so we're driving there to pick her up and we'll probably end up sleeping there since it'll be like three-thirty by the time we get there."

"As long as both of you are okay," Taylor told her, letting herself relax against the couch. She closed her sister's cell phone, having no need to call any of Haley's friends anymore, and let herself take a deep breath. "Just tell her that I love her and that I told you not to say anything to her."

"Shut up, Tay," Brooke spoke, laughing despite herself. "I'll get her to call you later, when we've worked everything out."

"Bye, Tigger." Taylor knew there was a chance that the name would upset Brooke, but she was hoping it would make her feel better.

"Bye, Tay," Brooke replied, hanging up the phone before the tears started. She bit her trembling lip and she slowly closed the phone, done with her calls for now. She thought about calling Lucas because she needed to hear his voice, but decided against it because there was no point in worrying him with this whole thing. Her and Nathan could take care of it. They would get up there, work everything out with Haley and the three of them could come back like nothing had happened.

"You good?" Nathan asked after a moment, not sure what he was supposed to do in this situation. Over the past month and a bit he had seen Brooke cry more times than he had ever seen anyone cry, and it amazed him that even now he didn't know what to do. Normally he would just hug her until she stopped, but he wasn't exactly in the position to do that right now. "Brooke?"

"I'm fine," she assured him, wiping the last of her tears off her face. She wasn't sure if they were tears of happiness at the fact that Haley was okay after being so worried about her, or tears of anger at her sister for doing this to her again. She didn't know how long she could continue living like that, always afraid that Haley was going to lose it. "I just want to see Haley."

"We're almost there," Nathan told her, knowing that it wasn't true but willing to say anything to make her feel better at this point. He needed to focus on making Brooke feel better, so he wouldn't have to think about how crazy this whole night was making him. "Just a bit longer."

"I can't keep doing this, Nathan," Brooke confessed, putting his phone on the dash and turning in her seat slightly to face the boy. "I get that Haley's going through shit, of course she is, and I want to be there for her in any way that I can, but it's just too hard. She was doing it wrong, and I couldn't watch her continue to live that way, I couldn't."

"Brooke…"

"I try to help and this is what happens," Brooke continues, completely ignoring Nathan's attempt to calm her down. "It's like this whole night as been a big 'fuck you' to me, or something. She doesn't realize how many people love her and how much this effects everyone else."

"I hope she does," Nathan spoke, thankful that Brooke didn't cut him off this time. He didn't like the thought of Haley thinking she was alone in all of this, because she most certainly wasn't. There were countless people that loved and cared about her and felt the pain when she did.

"She just needs to stop acting so damn childish and grow up," Brooke snapped. She knew she sounded harsh, and truthfully she didn't mean to be, she knew that it wasn't just that simple, but she was just so angry at Haley at the moment that she couldn't help it. "She can't keep running away from her problems, or she's never going to heal. And that's all I want, you know, for her to be good and happy. If there's anyone in the world that deserves happiness, it's Haley."

"She'll be happy, Brooke," Nathan assured her, silently hoping that he'll be the one to make her happy. "I promise. You just have to let her get there at her own pace. You can rush her into dealing with this. You're right, this hurts you and it hurts me too, but not the way it hurts Haley, every second of everyday. We can't feel that, and we can't tell her how to make that hurt feel better."

"I know," Brooke sighed, bowing her head and playing with the hem of her jacket. "It's just, I love her more than anything, and sometimes I go a little overboard, you know that. I can't help it, I worry about her so much, and after everything that's happened, I don't think anyone can blame me."

"Haley knows that, trust me," he told her, risking a glance in her direction. He hated seeing Brooke like this, especially when it was about Haley, and he really wished that there were something he could do to just make all of this go away. "She loves you Brooke, and I think she gets where you're coming from. It's just all too much for her to handle right now, but when she's ready, she'll come to you."

"Thank you, Nathan," Brooke whispered, taking his hand off her knee and squeezing it in appreciation. "You have been so amazing, to Haley and to me, through this whole thing, and you didn't have to."

"I love her, Brooke," Nathan admitting, knowing that Brooke wouldn't fight him about it this time like she did before. "I think I have since the moment I saw her."

"She loves you, too," Brooke promised him.

"I just hope we didn't ruin what we could have had tonight," Nathan spoke softly, finally letting himself think about the night's events. He shared a glance with Brooke for a moment, both trying to assure the other of something, before they sat back in their seats and finished the ride in silence.

**-- A life spent making mistakes is not only more honorable but more useful than a life spent in doing nothing --**

Carol must have been standing at the window of the front door waiting for them, Brooke thought, because the moment they pulled into the driveway, she came running out into the rain and greet them. The two teens jumped out of the truck and Brooke quickly made her way around the other side to stand with the other two.

"She's gone," Carol told them, almost having to shout to be heard over the rain that was pouring down on them. Brooke couldn't tell if she was crying or not.

"What?" Brooke shouted back, trying her best to push her wet hair out of her face to get a better look at the older blonde. She was certain she must have heard her wrong. There was no way that Haley was gone.

"She's gone, Brooke," Carol repeated, grimacing at the devastated look on both the teenagers' faces. "After you hung up, I told her that it was you and that you guys were coming and she flipped out and left."

"And you didn't stop her!" Brooke demanded incredulously. She breathed heavily as she fought not to pull her hair out.

"I tried," Carol told her, pushing her own hair out of her face. She felt horrible for letting this happen. She was the adult and she should have done something more to stop Haley from leaving. "She grabbed my car keys and took off before I could stop her. I'm so sorry, Brooke."

"No, no, it's not your fault," Brooke thought out loud. She racked her brain for a second, trying to think of where Haley would have gone. "She ran, just like she always done." She shook her head and grabbed Nathan's hand, pulling him back to his truck. Carol was right behind them. "Come on, Nate, we're gonna go find her."

"She could be anywhere, Brooke," Nathan shouted as he was pulled along. He hadn't said anything since the two of them had stopped talking in the car, and now everything was happening so fast that he couldn't find the words to say anything. "She could be on her way to New York for all we know!"

"No," she said confidently. "I know exactly where she is. Let's go." Nathan jumped into the driver's seat, but Carol grabbed Brooke's arm before she could get into the truck.

"Brooke, I don't think…"

"Call Taylor and tell her what's going on," Brooke instructed her, roughly shaking off the woman's hand. "She'll be worried." Without another word, Brooke slipped into the passenger side and instructed Nathan one where to go.

She didn't know how, but she just knew exactly where Haley was and she had a sickening feeling in her stomach that she also knew why Haley was there. She just hoped that got there in time.

Either way, this bullshit was ending tonight, she thought bitterly. One way or the other.

**--- OTH --- **

Dun dun dun. See you all next time.

Review, review, review.


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